1846-O Tall Date

At New Orleans in 1846, the date logotype shifted partway through the year in much the same way it did at Philadelphia, leaving collectors with two distinct subtypes drawn from a combined delivery of 2,304,000 coins. The Tall Date is the later and scarcer of the pair, carrying noticeably larger numerals that entered service after a significant share of the year's mintage had already been struck with the Medium Date punch. The Wiley-Bugert reference catalogs the Tall Date marriages under WB-22 through WB-27, treating them as their own attribution slot. Both subtypes share the same combined mintage on most price guides, but specialists who track auction records and certification populations consistently rank the Tall Date the harder coin to locate, particularly above circulated grades.

Survival is the defining trait. PCGS population data through the early 2010s recorded fewer than forty certified examples across all grades, with only a handful of Mint State pieces in the entire census, generally clustered at the MS-62 level. Most coins that surface today grade Very Good through Very Fine, and circulated AUs already require patience and a willing seller. Attribution rests entirely on the date itself, since both subtypes share the same dies elsewhere on the design. The 4 carries the clearest tell: on the Tall Date, the bottom of the crosslet (the small horizontal bar on the 4) and the right edge of the bottom serif are separated by a visible gap, while the Medium Date 4 has them nearly touching. The Tall Date 1 stands tall and slender, and the 6 shows wide separation between its upper ball and lower loop. The diagnostic remains readable on coins grading Good or better.

For a date specialist building the Seated half by subtype, the 1846-O Tall Date is a genuine challenge that often outruns its modest price guide listings, especially when problem-free examples are available. Most buyers settle on a VG through VF coin where the digits remain crisp enough for confident attribution, since cleaner pieces appear infrequently and Mint State examples enter five-figure territory at auction. It pairs naturally with the Philadelphia Tall Date as the New Orleans counterpart in a logotype-focused set. For background on date punch transitions and how the New Orleans branch fit into the broader twin-mint production sequence, see the Seated Liberty Half Dollar series history.