1871 OC-3

1871 OC-3

Die Pair	3 - A
Date Grid	L QTR / 4-5.0 / VS down
Obverse Die States	a

Estimated Rarity	R6-
1, 1 Vertical	SL, SL
Reverse Die States	b

Comments: This is the only use of Obverse 3 and the third of five uses of Reverse A.

Obverse 3
The photo below shows the Obverse 3 attribution grid.

1871 Obverse 3 attribution grid

Obverse 3 exhibits no notable die markers, but the date position should be sufficient for identification. The position is similar to obverse 6, but the date slant and vertical position should differentiate it.

Obverse 3 Die States

Perfect die.

No later die states have been observed. This is one of the two rarest 1871 business strike die marriages. Only 3 examples are known to the authors.

Reverse A
1871 Reverse A was the workhorse die for the year, paired with 5 different obverse dies. It features two minor but notable die markers that allow easy identification for any coin grading a strong F or better. A small die line curls up to the right off the lower right base of the first T in TRUST. A small lump is attached to the lower edge of the D in GOD. The photo below shows these markers. The die line may not be clearly visible in photos. It depends on the lighting and the condition of the coin being viewed. The lump can almost always be seen, even on very low-grade coins.

1871 Reverse A die markers

Reverse A Die States

Perfect die.
A faint die crack crosses the top of ERICA.
A faint die crack crosses the top of TES. The crack above ERICA has now extended across M.
The die crack across the top of TES now extends across the top of OF.

OC-3 has been observed only with reverse die state b. OC-3 is a very rare die marriage. We found only 3 examples out of nearly 1200 coins examined from the Heritage archives, and none from any other source.

Photo credits:

Obverse 1: 1871 PCGS F details, cleaned, from the Osburn-Cushing reference collection.
Reverse A: 1871 PCGS MS61, from the Osburn-Cushing reference collection.