Partial emission sequence (and die states) of the 1834 CHEs

Material is reproduced in part from Bowers and is based on notes from Harry Bass. Additional unpublished observations supplement the discussion.

Notation: (McCloskey Obverse die variety)(McCloskey Obverse die state)-(Reverse die variety)(Reverse die state)

Emission sequence: 3(a)-B(a) -> 3(b)-C(a) -> 3(c)-B(b) -> 3(d)-A(a) -> 2(a)-B(c) -> 2(a)-B(d)

Note that there are two uses of the die-pair 3-B.

Several disconnected obverse die cracks:

Vertical crack from eyeball across cheek to corner of mouth, just right of nose (can be very faint)
Slightly curved vertical crack in hair curls just left of lower ribbon end
Die crack top of 4th curl, down across the curl and across the 5th curl, and in later stages through the field and to the ribbon
Vertical crack through upper ribbon end through curls at upper right to the top right curl just below the left of star 9
Cracked from border through star 7 to second main curl at top of Liberty’s head (very faint and hard to see)
Die crack starts in curls just below the “Y” in LIBERTY, down through the curls, but does not enter field
Trace of a crack at the bottom edge of the bust

Several disconnected obverse die cracks:

Vertical crack from eyeball across check to corner of mouth, just right of nose. This crack now extends upward to Liberty’s forehead and downward to her chin
Slightly curved vertical crack in hair curls just left of lower ribbon end. This crack now extends downward through the bottom primary curl to the border between the date and star 13
Vertically from upper ribbon end through curls at upper right to the top right curl just below and left of star 9. This crack now extends faintly into the field above
Cracked from border through star 7 to second main curl at top of Liberty’s head. This crack continues to connect the second and third main curls
Die crack top of 4th curl, down across the curl and across the 5th curl, through the field and to the ribbon
Die crack starts in curls just below the “Y” in LIBERTY, down through the curls, but does not enter field
A crack follows the bottom edge of the bust into the lowermost curl above digit 4

Several disconnected obverse die cracks:

Vertical crack from eyeball across check to corner of mouth, just right of nose. This crack now extends upward to Liberty’s forehead and downward to her chin (but not into the field)
Slightly curved vertical crack in hair curls just left of lower ribbon end. This crack now extends downward through the bottom primary curl to the border between the date and star 13. This extension is much heavier than on others examined
Vertically from upper ribbon end through curls at upper right to the top right curl just below and left of star 9. This crack now extends faintly into the field above
Cracked from border through star 7 to second main curl at top of Liberty’s head. This crack continues to connect the second and third main curls
Die crack top of 4th curl, down across the curl and across the 5th curl, through the field and into the middle of the ribbon
Die crack starts in curls just below the “Y” in LIBERTY, down through the curls, exiting into the field between the 4 and stars, continuing all the way to an edge denticle
A crack follows the bottom edge of the bust into the lowermost curl above digit 4

No evidence of deterioration. Perfect die.

Minute die crack joins tip of second leaf left of 5 to border between denticles
Minute die crack or other defect joins inside left base of N to diagonal
A faint guide line is visible in the field between base of D and wing tip
An even fainter guideline is noted between same wing tip and base of first S
Microscopic races of die rust are visible around bases of TAT and between vertical shield stripes
This is not the first use of the die

Defects from state (a) mostly eliminated through die lapping
Both wing tips are joined by die cracks to the border, that at observer’s right continuing through the eagle’s wing to the lower wing feathers near the shield. Another minute crack joins bases of MERI
An additional short die crack joins the adjacent left points of two lower arrowheads, continuing into the field below the lower arrowhead

Both wing tips are joined by die cracks to the border, that at observer’s right continuing through the eagle’s wing to the lower wing feathers near the shield
The crack to wing tip at left continues through the wing and into the shield, to the second vertical stripe. Another minute crack joins bases of MERI
An additional short die crack joins the adjacent left points of two lower arrowheads, continuing into the field below the lower arrowhead
A prominent die crack from the wing above the right of the shield extends diagonally down to the left through all horizontal lines to top of the third vertical stripe, center of the second vertical stripe, and bottom of the first vertical stripe, finally extending through the tail feathers to the upper pair of leaves

Both wing tips are joined by die cracks to the border, that at observer’s right continuing through the eagle’s wing to the lower wing feathers near the shield
The crack to wing tip at left continues through the wing and into the shield, to the second vertical stripe
Another minute crack joins bases of MERI
An additional short die crack joins the adjacent left points of two lower arrowheads, continuing into the field below the lower arrowhead
A second crack joins the lower arrowheads parallel to this first crack, extending upward towards the first arrowhead
A prominent die crack from the wing above the right of the shield extends diagonally down to the left through all horizontal lines to top of the third vertical stripe, center of the second vertical stripe, and bottom of the first vertical stripe, finally extending through the tail feathers to the upper pair of leaves

A die crack from center of left upright of N joins diagonal of same letter and continues to connect bases of NITED
A short crack connects the right base of first A in AMERICA to left base of M and continues to join both bases of this letter, crossing point of the diagonal
A short cracks connects tip of eagle’s left wing, at observer’s right, to the border
The small berry is detached from the branch, suggesting this die may have been lightly lapped or polished

@ Mark S. Ghiorso, ClassicHalfEagles.com, December 2017