1843-O Small Letters

The 1843-O Small Letters half eagle is the scarcer of two die varieties produced at the New Orleans Mint that year, separated from its Large Letters companion by the size and style of the reverse lettering. Reported mintage for the Small Letters dies is 19,075 pieces, against 82,000 for the Large Letters, with both struck under the same dated New Orleans output. Christian Gobrecht's Coronet portrait carried the obverse, and the smaller-font reverse was a holdover style first used on the 1842-O issue. Specialists generally treat the Small Letters as the scarcer variety by a wide margin in every grade.

Authentication starts at the reverse legend. The Small Letters dies use a noticeably finer, more delicate font for UNITED STATES OF AMERICA and FIVE D., and side-by-side comparison with a Large Letters example is the standard attribution. Genuine pieces weigh 8.359 grams in 90% gold and show the slightly granular surfaces and softer central definition typical of New Orleans gold from this period. Diagnostics worth checking include consistent letter spacing, the shape of the serifs on the reverse legend, and the absence of tooling around the O mintmark, where added or altered mintmarks have been reported on other Southern issues.

Most surviving examples fall in the VF to EF range, with AU coins clearly scarce and uncirculated pieces almost never offered at public sale. Population estimates run roughly 125 to 150 across all grades, and only a small handful of mint-state survivors are recorded, with the finest known piece graded MS65. Prices remain modest relative to the variety's true rarity, partly because attribution is overlooked outside specialist circles and partly because the more famous New Orleans dates from later in the series draw the attention. For collectors building a date-and-mintmark set or a deeper variety run, the Small Letters is a genuine condition rarity that rewards patient selection over a quick fill. Original surfaces with even color tend to outpace cleaned or processed coins on the resale market, so condition and eye appeal matter as much as the technical grade. For broader background on the type, see our Liberty Head Half Eagle series history.