1847 OC-1

Die Pair 1 - 1846 B
Date Grid JR of LE / 4-2.0 / Level
Obverse Die States a, b
Estimated Rarity R1
1, 7 Vertical SH, SH
Reverse Die States c, d, e



Comments:    This is the first of two uses of Obverse 1 and the only use of Reverse 1846 B in 1847.
Reverse 1846 B is transitional, first used to strike the OC-2 die marriage in 1846.


Obverse 1

The photo below shows the Obverse 1 attribution grid.



1847 Obverse 1 attribution grid

Obverse 1 exhibits faint die lines slanting down to the right, extending from the right edge of the shield into the gown just above the Y in LIBERTY. These are shown in the photo below.



1847 Obverse 1 die lines in gown

These die lines provide an additional marker to assure proper attribution, but they aren't really required since the date positions for the two known business strike obverse dies are significantly different.


Obverse 1 Die States
  1. Perfect die.
  2. A faint die crack crosses the base of the date. The crack is faint enough that it will seldom be visible on coins grading below XF.
  3. The die crack is heavier. At this point it may be visible on lower grade coins.
  4. The die has been polished, almost completely removing evidence of the die crack.
The OC-1 die marriage can be found with obverse die states a and b, the OC-2 marriage with states b, c, and d.


Reverse 1846 B

1846 Reverse B features one fairly notable die marker. Vertical shield line 1-1 extends through the horizontal shield lines to horizontal shield line 7. This may be visible only on mid- to high-grade examples, VF or better. And even then, it may require relatively high magnification to see it.



1846 Reverse B shield line 1-1 extension

During its 1846 use reverse B cracked at the base of ONE and across the top of UNITED STATES of AMERICA. Since these cracks appear on all 1847 strikes they’re the most reliable markers for identifying this die. The cracks are shown in the following photos.



1846 Reverse B die crack at base of ONE




1846 Reverse B die crack across top of USA


Reverse 1846 B Die States
  1. Perfect die (1846 only).
  2. A light die crack crosses the base of ONE D. A very faint crack joins the top of UNI (1846 only).
  3. The crack joining the top of UNI now crosses UNITED STATES OF A, extending to the denticles above M.
  4. The reverse die cracks have progressed to completely surround the reverse and are much more notable than in state c.
  5. A cud has formed on the rim near the tip of the upper arrow. This is shown in the following photo.



1846 Reverse B rim cud opposite
the upper arrow tip

Reverse 1846 B is used only for the OC-1 die pairing. During this pairing the die cracks progressed until they surrounded most of the reverse at the top of the lettering, and eventually formed the cud that’s characteristic of state e. OC-1 is found only with states c, d, and e.

We’ve only observed a single example of state e, but two others have been reported, so we’re confident that it’s truly a cud rather than just a rim issue.

This die marriage is usually seen with die rotation of 5-10 degrees counterclockwise. Unrotated examples are very rare. We’ve also seen two examples of late die states with 5-degree clockwise rotation.



Photo credits:

Obverse 1:   1847 NGC AU55, from the Osburn-Cushing reference collection.
Reverse 1846 B:   1846 PCGS XF45, from the Osburn-Cushing reference collection.


Copyright © 2015-2021, by Dick Osburn and Brian Cushing, All rights reserved.