1806 6 over 5, Large Stars

The 1806 6 over 5, Large Stars is the famous obverse overdate of the year and the variety that most reliably anchors an early half dollar variety set. Mint workers took a die originally punched with the date 1805, then drove a 6 directly over the 5 to extend its working life into the 1806 production year, a routine practice when serviceable steel was scarce. The result leaves the underlying 5 partly visible beneath the bowl of the 6, most clearly along the lower-left curve where the two digits do not align. The Large Stars obverse pairs this date with the larger of the two star punches used during the year. Within the 839,576 combined 1806 figure, the overdate is a small but consistent share of survivors, and PCGS and NGC both attribute the variety on the holder label.

Authentication starts at the date. Under five-power magnification a genuine overdate shows a clear arc or partial curve of the 5 emerging from the lower portion of the 6, particularly the lower-left, and the underlying loop runs at a slightly different angle from the surrounding 6. Worn examples can lose the detail entirely, which is one reason VG and Good coins still trade with the attribution but at compressed premiums. The pairing with Large Stars matters: a similar-looking date impression on the wrong obverse will not carry the variety attribution. Edge lettering FIFTY CENTS OR HALF A DOLLAR must be intact, weight should sit near 13.48 grams, and adjustment file marks on the obverse fields are part of original Mint production rather than damage.

The 6 over 5, Large Stars commands a working premium over the standard 1806 varieties, modest in heavily circulated grades and steadily wider as condition climbs. The variety is well known enough that raw examples at smaller venues regularly trade above the unattributed comparable, but PCGS or NGC certification with the overdate noted on the label remains the safest path; counterfeiters have been working this date specifically for decades. Population reports run thin in AU and above, and Mint State coins are condition rarities that draw specialist bidding when they surface. For the broader story of Robert Scot's design, the 1807 Capped Bust transition, and the series' production arc, see the Draped Bust Half Dollar series history.