How can I tell if I have a 1901/O-S half eagle?
This overdate variety is known as Breen 6780. It can be identified via the remnant of the curve of a “0” near the upper right of the final “1” in the date.
The motto “In God We Trust” first appeared on our bank notes during the Eisenhower administration in the 1950s
Category Archives: mintmark
Genuine Coins Have “Style”
While it is obvious today that to authenticate a coin, you must know what the genuine coin should look like, at one time this was taken for granted. When I became an authenticator, I never saw it expressed anywhere! I am certain this primary “rule” of authentication was formalized in print and passed on during our authentication seminars starting in 1973 due to a very fortuitous event.
One day at the Certification Service, we almost returned a very worn 1915-S Pan Pac $50 (carried as a pocket piece) to a walk-in the customer as a cast counterfeit because it looked so crude under a microscope