Toughest "Common" Capped Bust Half Dollars
This is a "cheat sheet" compilation of the R1, R2, and R3 Overton Varieties that are diffictult to obtain in higher grades, or even at all. Info is based on a variety of sources combined into a compilation and counts only the last 10 years. I did this because any common coin should be making regular appearances on the market, and not showing up infrequently like many R4 or better varieties do. Any problem coins are not included, as I believe most are interested in problem free common varieties. The info below may not reflect actual rarity, but then again it may. For example, if someone is having an impossible time finding a decent example of an R2 (500-1000 examples known), it may be that the variety heavily circulated and most are in VF and lower grades, and the few higher grades are already held in collections. On the other hand, the particular variety may actually be more scarce than the published information indicates. The below info is based only on AU and MS appearances in major dealers and auctions.
I will be possibly adding more info to this over time as needed, and attempting to update the list as these varieties appear on the market.
Great Bust Half Auctions at DLRC
Tough R1 (Overall) Overton Varieties (Last 10 years of appearance records). Numbers exclude repeat appearances of coins
Date and Overton Var
1833 O-110 (R1)
1833 O-110a (R2)
1817 O-111 (R1)
1817 O-111a (R1)
1826 O-116 (R1)
1826 O-116a (R1)
1809 O-102 (R1)
1809 O-102a (R1)
Total Prob Free MS
4
4 Total O-110 = 8
4
2 Total O-111 = 6
0
9 Total O-116 = 9
3
8 Total O-102 = 11
Last MS Appearance
11/18 MS64
01/20 MS62
11/19 MS64
06/20 MS64
0
02/14 MS61
01/19 MS63
01/14 MS63
Total Prob Free AU
4
2 Total O-110 = 6
5
9 Total O-111 = 14
1
15 Total O-116 =16
16
14 Total O-102 = 30
Last AU Appearance
05/19 AU58
09/08 AU50
01/19 AU55
03/19 AU50
04/18 AU50
09/15 AU55
07/15 AU50
01/19 AU58
I mention the O-102 do to the XXX edge demand and only 1 MS O-102 XXX appearance, along with a relatively thin POP of AU coins.
Tough R2 (Overall) Overton Varieties (Last 10 years of appearance records). Numbers exclude repeat appearances of coins
Date and Overton Var
1829 O-113 (R3)
1829 O-113a (R2)
1819 O-105 (R2)
1812 O-108 (R2)
1812 O-108a (R2)
1809 O-105 (R2)
1809 O-111 (R2)
1809 O-111a (R2)
1827 O-115 (R2)
1809 O-115 (R2)
1809 O-115 (R3)
1810 O-110 (R2)
1830 O-106 (R2)
1830 O-106a (R4)
1813 O-106
1813 O-106a
1808 O-106 (R2)
1808 O-106a (R2)
1813 O-108 (R3)
1813 O-108a (R2)
1808 O-107 (R3)
1808 O-107a (R2)
1819 O-109 (R2)
1819 O-109a (R2)
1817 O-112 (R2)
1817 O-112a (R2)
1830 O-107 (R2)
1830 O-107a (R2)
1809 O-109 (R3)
1809 O-109a (R2)
1809 O-109b (R4)
Total Prob Free MS
0
1 Total O-113 = 1
3
1
2 Total O-108 = 3
1
2
1 Total O-111 = 3
4
3
1 Total O-109 = 4
3
4
1 Total O-106 = 5
2
6 Total O-106 = 8
0
3 Total O-106 = 3
2
3 Total O-108 = 5
1
4 Total O-107 = 5
6
1 Total O-109 = 7
2
5 Total O-112 = 7
6
3 Total O-107 = 9
0
3
3 Total O-109 = 6
Last MS Appearance
0
08/17 MS62
08/16 MS64
01/09 MS62
05/15 MS61
08/16 MS61
09/16 MS64
03/18 MS61
06/20 MS64
07/13 MS64+
10/12 MS65+
01/14 MS63
03/19 MS65
07/08 MS61
09/15 MS61
08/18 MS64
0
01/19 MS61
06/20 MS63
08/16 MS64
07/19 MS61
01/20 MS65
01/15 MS62
01/11 MS62
08/16 MS62
01/14 MS61
09/18 MS65
08/16 MS62
0
04/14 MS66
08/16 MS65
Tot Prob Free AU
0
9 Total O-113 = 9
10
5
4 Total O-105 = 9
9
4
4 Total O-111 = 8
10
2
2 Total O-115 = 4
9
8
1 Total O-106 = 9
6
6 Total O-106 = 12
4
6 Total O-106 = 10
10
8 Total O-108 = 17
2
8 Total O-107 = 10
8
0 Total O-109 = 8
3
5 Total O-112 = 8
10
6 Total O-107 = 16
5
12
3 Total O-109 = 20
Last AU Appearance
0
08/19 AU58
01/19 AU53
08/16 AU58
01/18 AU53
01/19 AU50
11/19 AU53
04/19 AU55
04/18 AU55
08/17 AU55
08/17 AU55
09/17 AU58
06/15 AU58
07/08 AU58
10/19 AU55
11/18 AU58
01/18 AU50
08/19 AU58
12/19 AU50
11/19 AU50
10/15 AU50
09/17 AU58
03/15 AU55
0
02/18 AU50
02/14 AU58
08/18 AU55
11/19 AU58
08/14 AU50
08/16 AU53
01/13 AU50
Tough R3 (Overall) Overton Varieties (Last 10 years of appearance records). Numbers exclude repeat appearances of coins
Date and Overton Var
1822 O-108 (R3)
1822 O-108a (R3)
1832 O-108 (R3)
1832 O-108a (R3)
1818 O-105 (R3)
1818 O-105a (R4)
1836 O-109 (R3)
1812 O-106 (R3)
1831 O-118
1808 O-105 (R3)
1819 O-112 (R3)
1819 O-112a (R3)
1810 O-107 (R3)
1810 O-107a (R3)
1810 O-106 (R4)
1810 O-106a (R3)
1827 O-118 (R3)
1827 O-118a (R3)
1810 O-104 (R3)
1810 O-104a (R3)
1810 O-109 (R3)
1810 O-109a (R4)
1818 O-106 (R3)
1818 O-106a (R3)
1828 O-121 (R3)
1828 O-121a (R3)
1819 O-110 (R3)
1819 O-110a (R3)
1832 O-120 (R3)
1832 O-120a (R3)
1810 O-108 (R3)
1810 O-108a (R3)
Total Prob Free MS
0
4 Total O-108 = 4
2
2 Total O-108 = 4
0
0 Total O-105 = 0
3
3
5
2
4
2 Total O-112 = 61
2 Total O-107 = 3
1
1 Total O-106 = 2
5
0 Total O-118 = 5
4
3 Total O-104 = 7
5
1 Total O-109 = 6
0
1 Total O-106 = 1
1
3 Total O-121 = 4
0
6 Total O-110 = 6
0
2 Total O-120 = 2
4
0 Total O-108 = 4
Last MS Appearance
0
04/20 MS63
08/19 MS62
06/17 MS65
0
0
08/15 MS62
08/16 MS62
01/17 MS62
10/14 MS67
03/16 MS63
08/18 MS64
06/13 MS65
01/14 MS63
08/13 MS62
04/17 MS63
08/13 MS60
0
04/19 MS64
08/18 MS62
06/15 MS64
04/10 MS61
0
11/13 MS62
01/09 MS63
07/10 MS62
0
04/13 MS62
0
08/19 MS61
11/13 MS66
0
Total Prob Free AU
2
4 Total O-108 = 6
1
0 Total O-108 = 03
4 Total O-105 = 7
7
6
4
9
7
0 Total O-112 = 7
2
9 Total O-107 = 9
3
6 Total O-106 = 95
1 Total O-118 = 6
3
7 Total O-104 = 97
1 Total O-109 = 81
7 Total O-106 = 87
1 Total O-121 = 8
6
6 Total O-110 = 11
3
3 Total O-120 = 6
7
4 Total O-108 =11
Last AU Appearance
11/17 AU50
01/19 AU5503/18 AU55
0
08/15 AU55
11/09 AU55
04/18 AU50
11/17 AU50
06/15 AU55
08/17 AU55
04/18 AU58
0
12/15 AU55
06/19 AU58
01/20 AU50
06/18 AU5508/10 AU53
10/08 AU55
06/18 AU58
01/18 AU5305/17 AU55
01/18 AU55
04/10 AU55
01/20 AU5510/14 AU58
03/09 AU58
09/18 AU55
02/18 AU5301/15 AU58
11/19 AU50
08/18 AU58
04/15 AU55