1873 OC-4a

1873 OC-4a

Die Pair	3 - B
Date Grid	JL of C / 5-3.5 / Level
Obverse Die States	a

Estimated Rarity	R3+
1, 3 Vertical	C, SL
Reverse Die States	b

Comments: This is last of two uses of Obverse 3 (the first is a marriage of these same dies) and the fifth and final use of Reverse B (including two re-marriages).

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

1873 Obverse 3 attribution grid

An additional die marker for Obverse 3 is a tiny die chip that appears as a small lump in the 7th shield recess, indicated by the arrow in the photo below.

1873 Obverse 3 lump in shield recess #7

Obverse 3 Die States

Perfect die.

No later die states have been observed.

Reverse B
Reverse B can be quickly identified by the presence of several small lumps around GOD in the motto. The easiest to see is the large lump just right of and above the serif of G. These are indicated by the arrows on the following photo.

1873 Reverse B lumps near G in GOD

Reverse B Die States

Perfect die.
The right end of the scroll has lost detail due to die polishing.

No later die states have been seen. OC-4a is differentiated from OC-4 by the reverse die state. The pictures below contrast the two die states.

1873 Reverse B die state a (above)
vs. die state b (below)

Photo credits:

Obverse 3:   1873 PCGS AU55, from the Osburn-Cushing reference collection.
Reverse B:   1873 ANACS AU58, from the Osburn-Cushing reference collection.
Reverse B die states:   1873 PCGS MS65 and NGC MS64, from the Heritage archives.