Issue 13 - Mint Error News Magazine

1812 Cap Bust HalfNo Edge Letteringby Henry HilgardThis famous Bust Half mint error was from theLogan Collection auctioned during the 2003 ANAin Baltimore. It is one of only six known plain edgeBust Half Dollars in the entire series. It appears tobe broadstruck since it is on a Type 1 blank planchet.This fascinating bust half dollar completely lacksedge lettering and as such is extremely rare, withonly a handful of specimens known for the entirelettered edge bust half dollar series (1794 to 1836).These few “plain edge” piece happened becausethey did not receive the first step in the mintingprocess: the feeding of the blank through the edgeletteringmachine that applied the words “FIFTYCENTS OR HALF A DOLLAR” to the blank’sedge.This lettering machine, known as a Castaingmachine for its inventor, the Frenchman JeanCastaing, consisted of 2 flat bar dies, one fixed inplace and the other moving. Using a hand crank,the blank was rotated between the bar dies as thelettering was pressed into the coin. The distancebetween the bar dies was slightly less than the diameterof the half dollar blank, with the result thatthe rims of the blank planchet were raised and itsdiameter became smaller as it rotated through themachine.usual, and similarly the distance from the tops ofthe letters to the edge on the reverse is greater thanusual.In addition, the edges of this coin have a much differentlook. All around the obverse, the outer edgeis rounded as it makes the 90 degree transition intothe edge; all around the reverse, the outer edge issharp as it makes the transition. This is becausethe blank was punched out of a piece of silverstrip, with the result that the side of the blank thatthe punch pushed on had squared (sharp) edges,and the side which popped out first got the roundedges. Of course these features would have beenobliterated if this piece had passed through theCastaing machine.Among the few known plain edge bust half dollars,this piece shows off its unusual features to an exceptionaldegree, and its high grade magnifies itsdesirability. It is a wonderful and rare error coin!Because this coin didn’t pass through the Castaingmachine when it was a blank, its diameter isslightly larger than normal. The distance from thestars to the edge on the obverse is greater thanPage 18minterrornews.com