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O-101. From the Heritage Summer 08 FUN Auction. 1796 50C 15 Stars, O-101, R.5 Former VF25 NGC. The two-year type Draped Bust Small Eagle half dollars, displaying the date 1796 or 1797, comes in four varieties. The 1796 O-101 consists of 15 obverse stars, while the 1796 O-102 has 16 stars. The two 1797 varieties (O-101 and O-102) share the same obverse, but have slightly different reverses. The reported mintage for both years was 3,918 pieces, of which probably less than 300 coins are extant today.The present VF25 1796 15 stars offering will please the early half dollar date/variety specialist, as well as the collector seeking to complete a design-type collection of U.S. coinage. The design elements display excellent definition for the grade designation, slightly more so on the obverse. Liberty's hair strands in the middle and lower portions of the portrait are sharp, as is the dentilation on both sides, the sole exception being that on the upper obverse. Strong definition is also noted on about one-half of the eagle's wing plumage, along with that on the tail. Particularly noteworthy is the clarity in most of the diagnostic semi-circular crack above Liberty's shoulder; this fine crack is usually visible only on higher-end VF and better examples. Soft champagne-gold patina accented with whispers of sky-blue and lavender covers both sides, and traces of luster are visible in some of the motif interstices, especially those of Liberty's hair and the eagle's feathers. The surfaces are relatively clean for a coin having seen light to moderate circulation. A couple of inoffensive obverse pinscratches are only mentioned for complete accuracy, and two minute marks near the rim above star 7, one between 9 and 6 in the date, and another to the top right of the 2 in the fraction may help in identifying the coin for future catalogers and researchers.