US Coins

1851-O-Seated-Liberty-dime discovery-missing-star-7

A newly discovered variety of 1851-O Seated Liberty dime exhibits a missing star 7, the likely result of grease or other matter becoming trapped in the recesses of the coin's obverse coinage die.

Original images courtesy of Gerry Fortin and Liberty Seated Collectors Club.

Numismatist Gerry Fortin has reported the discovery of an 1851-O Seated Liberty dime struck at the New Orleans Mint that is absent Star 7 in the obverse field, in front of Liberty's face.

In the October 2015 issue of the Liberty Seated Collectors Club's electronic newsletter, The E-Gobrecht, Fortin writes the entire production of 400,000 1851-O Seated Liberty dimes was accomplished from a single pair of dies.

Fortin says he examined a Professional Coin Grading Service About Uncirculated 50 1851-O dime acquried by collector Ken Rubin who suspected he might have encountered a Chinese counterfeit. Fortin's examination of Rubin's coin determined the coin to be a genuine U.S. Mint product.

Fortin believes the almost complete absence of Star 7 in front of Liberty's face is most likely the result of a grease-filled die.

"The fact that Star 6 and Liberty's facial details are not disturbed is amazing," according to Fortin. "The foreign material that filled the Star 7 crevice on the die was localized leaving only a faint impression of the star at top most point."

Since the identification of Rubin's find, a second example has surfaced, accordiing to Fortin.

 


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