Q.David Bowers
"No.5. A very poor specimen was purchased by Mr. John W. Haseltine from Mr. Brown, a dealer in New York. It appeared in no less than six sales, and brought prices varying from $12 to $40; but, although guaranteed genuine (and genuine undoubtly it was, for I owned the piece at one time and compared it very carefully with another in my possession) it was always returned by the bidder as 'too poor'-it was finally sold as one of a lot of poor Half-dimes, described in Chapman's sale, November 19th and 20th, 1880. '1802: Obverse shows 802, the 1 being indistinct; all the word Liberty, excepting the letter y; the head, bust, and a few stars to right of bust visible; the inscription on bust is barely visible.' It brought in this sale $40.
"No.6. Another specimen sold in the sale of the Smith Cabinet October 19-21, 1880, catalogued by Mason & Co., thus: '1802: Good specimen in date, bust, word Liberty and stars very little worn, but weak in stars on left of bust and slightly indented. Reverse not quite as good as obverse; guar" anteed original; cost owner $77.50; of the highest rarity, in any condition. Brought $95: Was purchased by Mr. H. P. Newlin, of Philadelphia.
"Sold in the Burton sale, October 26"28, 1881. Catalogued by W. Elliott Woodward, as follows: 'This piece is bent, but for which circumstance it could be only fairly described as Fine. 'The bust shows but little evidence of wear; the hair is only a trifle worn, but has two or three little nicks. Liberty is Fine and distinct; the date bold; the stars facing well struck up and prominent, those back of the head all distinct, but not so well struck. The reverse about as good as the obverse. The eagle very good; lines on the shield, feathers on the wings, perfectly distinct, as are the clouds and nearly all the stars. Every letter in the legend plain, Most desirable for any collection.' Brought $100. Purchased by C. P. Britton, Esq., of New York, and subsequently sold in the Britton sale, January 29, 1883, for $115. Bought by Scott & Co., for a customer.
"No; 7; This piece was picked up in Europe, and was bought by ML Betts, tOf $125. It was sold in Cogan's sale, September 16, 17, 18, i9, and 20. 1878, and was described as follows: 'This is one at the best specimens of this Half-dime I have ever known to be offered at auction, and certainly the best, if I except the one sold in the Redlick sale, by Mr. Scott, which had been too highly polished to cause me to value it very highly. This is unusually fine, and the rarest Half-dime known. The piece was purchased at the sale by Mr. Haines, for $130.' It was again sold in W. Elliott Woodward's sale of Haines' collection, October 13-16, 1880, and was thus described: '1802: Barely circulated, having only the slightest marks of friction; polished surface; believed to be as fine a Half-dime of the date as exists.' this piece was bought by Mr. E. Burton, for $240, and was purchased indirectly from that gentleman by Mr. Newlin. Sold in the Newlin sale for $400; bought by Mr. Garrett, of Baltimore, in whose possession it remains. It is undoubtedly the finest known if we except the uncirculated specimen in the collection of Mr. 1. C. Parmelee. As I have never seen this piece, I cannot give my opinion. One gentleman, who had seen both pieces, informs me, that Mr. Parmelee's is the better. Another gentleman, who likewise examined them both, declares this to be much the finer. So I think, that the honors should be divided.
"No.8. This piece was picked up in Charlotte, Va., in the following rather curious manner:
"A colored man purchased a loaf of bread with it. The baker used it for street-car fare, putting it in one of the Slawson boxes in use in the cars. The receiver, who unlocked the boxes and counted the fares, noticed the date of the piece, and found, upon reference to the printed price-list of a dealer living in the vicinity, that he could obtain $10 for it. This he hastened to do. The dealer sold it for $20, to Mr. C. F. W. Moser, of Charlotte, Va. Mr. Moser sold it to Mr. John W. Haseltine, the well-known dealer, for $60. Mr. Haseltine sold it in the Ahlborn collection June 16 and June 17, 1881, describing it thus: '1802: The date bold and well defined; the obverse well struck; the reverse a little weak in a few places; a very good specimen, and might be termed fine for date; excessively rare; desirable for any cabinet; the owner has been offered, and refused $100 for the piece; it is limited to that price.' Purchased by Mr. 1. C; Parmelee, for $117.
"No.9. A very fine specimen-c tpicked up' by Mr. Gamba, coin dealer, in St. Louis; sold by him to Mr. Brown, coin dealer, N. Y., afterwards sold at public auction, by Scott & Co., in the Redlick sale, for $172, and later sold by Mr. Sampson, dealer, to Mr. Parmelee, of Boston.
"No. 10. In December, 1882, Mason & Co. picked up another specimen in poor condition, for $10. It was sold to a collector, and again appeared in Haseltine's 64th sale, January 18, 1883. Catalogued thus: "1802: Poor, very much battered; head and most of stars distinct; undoubtedly genuine, and guaranteed excessively rare." Brought $15.
"No. 11. Dr. E. Maris, of Philadelphia, purchased a collection, containing a very fine 1802 Half-dime, from a gentle-man in Wilmington Del. S. K. Harzfeld, dealer, purchased the piece from Dr. Maris for $100, and sold it again for $125 to Mr. Jackman, of Bath, New Hampshire, in whose possession it still remains.
"No. 12. About two years ago, Mason & Co. purchased a very fine specimen from a stationer, in Louisville, Ky., for $75. Now the property of Mr. R. C. Davis of this city. Never offered for public competition.
"No. 13. An uncirculated specimen, in the cabinet of 1. C. Parmelee, of Boston, Mass. 'This p.iece has never been offered for public competition.
"No. 14. Mr. Woodward offered a very fine specimen in one of his recent sales, limited at $300. It was not sold, but I am informed, that Mr. Woodward subsequently sold it, at an advance over the limit, to Mr. Chas. A. Rice, Chelsea, Mass., in whose possession it now remains.
"No. 15. A specimen, in fair condition, was offered for sale in Philadelphia and Baltimore last spring. Purchased by Dr. Massamore for $45.
"No. 16.A specimen was sold at the Cohen sale, October 25th to 29th, 1875, catalogued by Edward Cogan, as follows: '1802: Rarest of the Half-dimes; head rubbed; reverse poor, battered; extremely rare.' Brought $23.
"It was the intention to photograph all the varieties herein described, but the idea was abandoned, as it was found im-possible to have the pieces produced with sufficient clearness, to note with ease the slight varieties." [Reprinted from The Early Half Dimes by Harold P. Newlin]