Rare 1807 Capped Bust Half Dollar Errors (List & Pictures)
A raised beard and a corrected value can appear on the same 1807 half dollar, so finding one feature should lead you to inspect the other. The 1807 Capped Bust half dollar errors here span estimated values of $1,200–$41,000.
A strong Bearded Goddess graded AU53 sold for $40,800 in August 2024. Start with the border, examine the chin and reverse number, and finish with measurements for a suspected oversized coin.
| Visible difference | Place to check | Category | Estimated value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Uneven border teeth | Left front and upper-left back | Slightly off-center strike | $2,000–$3,500 |
| A raised beard | Chin and bust | Bearded Goddess die break | $9,000–$41,000 |
| Extra curves at the 5 | 50 C on the reverse | Corrected denomination | $2,000–$24,000 |
| Large gaps between edge-word groups | Diameter and entire edge | Reported oversized planchet | $1,200–$2,000 |
Confirm the capped, left-facing Liberty portrait: 1807 also has a Draped Bust half dollar with a different design. Normal unworn Capped Bust specifications are about 13.48 grams and 32.5 mm, with lettering around the edge.
1. 1807 Half Dollar Border Teeth Fading on One Side: Slightly Off-Center Strike Error
The little toothlike marks along the border are called denticles. On one documented O-111a, they nearly vanish at the left of the front while more survive at the upper-left of the back.
Stack’s Bowers described the front as slightly off center toward nine o’clock and the back as less displaced toward the upper left. The description concerns subtle centering, not a broad blank crescent.
How to Identify
View both complete faces straight on with the entire rim visible. A slanted photograph or close crop can create a false impression of unequal borders.
Compare left and right on the front, then move to the upper-left reverse. The reported pattern has greater loss of border teeth on the front than on the back.
Examine thin border areas for filing or flattened metal from an impact. Wear can also weaken denticles, so missing teeth alone do not establish how the coin was positioned during striking.
The March 2020 Stack’s Bowers description identifies a VF25 O-111a. It does not supply an off-center percentage or a separate certified error designation.
What It’s Worth
Estimated range: $2,000–$3,500 for a comparable worn O-111a with the described centering. The estimate includes the early date and variety, rather than assuming a major off-center premium.
The January 2025 comparison is a PCGS VF20 Light Beard O-111a, which realized $3,360. It has a somewhat lower circulated grade than the separate VF25 specimen described in 2020.
2. 1807 Half Dollar Raised Metal Hanging From the Chin: Bearded Goddess Die Break Error
Liberty appears to have a beard where a fracture in the front die left raised metal beneath her chin. As the fracture advanced, the line continued across the bust toward the area above the first date digit.
The bold later stage is called the Bearded Goddess. A faint early line and a strong beard represent different stages of the damaged tool, so they should not be treated as equally desirable examples.
How to Identify
Look for a connected raised feature that begins at the chin. Trace its course over the bust with a magnifier rather than concentrating on one isolated lump.
A cut running through the portrait is damage, even if its edges glint under a lamp. The beard should stand above the surrounding surface without a scratched channel creating it.
Check the Large Stars design and the corrected denomination on the reverse as additional parts of the match. The reverse feature is explained next and can occur on the same coin as the beard.
Compare the strength and length of the beard with a documented coin at the same stage. A label such as Light Beard does not justify applying the strong Bearded Goddess price without checking the actual feature.
What It’s Worth
Estimated range: $9,000–$41,000 for the cited strong-beard examples from XF40 to AU53. Both are circulated grades, with AU53 retaining more detail and showing lighter wear.
A PCGS XF40 sold for $9,250 in July 2016. Heritage recorded $40,800 for a PCGS AU53 O-111b in August 2024.
These results reflect the individual coins as well as their die stage. The market does not assign a fixed dollar amount to each additional section of the beard.
3. 1807 Half Dollar Another Curve Behind the 5: 50/20 Corrected Denomination Error
At the value 50 C, examine the 5 for remnants of an earlier punched shape. The traditional name 50/20 describes the way the remnant can resemble a 2.
Another interpretation is that a 5 was punched upside down and then corrected. The John Reich Collectors Society discussion addresses this corrected punch; neither name means the Mint intended this half dollar to be a twenty-cent coin.
How to Identify
Magnify the upper-left part of the final 5 and the remaining outline beneath it. Look for small curved portions of an earlier impression instead of trying to read a complete second value.
An identified 50/20 photograph should show the same curves in the same positions. A scratch added beside the numeral will be cut into the metal and need not follow the punched shape.
Also distinguish a flat shelf along the 5 from the particular raised remnants. Movement during striking can produce shelf-like doubling without a corrected punch in the die.
What It’s Worth
Estimated range: $2,000–$24,000 from lightly worn AU coins to MS64 examples without circulation wear. Preservation explains much of this wide spread.
A PCGS AU50 O-112 sold for $2,760 in January 2025. A PCGS MS64 O-112 reached $24,000 in August 2025.
If the coin also has a beard, value it as one complete variety and condition combination. Adding the two section ranges would count the underlying half dollar twice.
4. 1807 Half Dollar Wide Gaps Around the Lettered Edge: Reported Oversized Planchet Error
A collector noticed unusually large spaces between groups of edge letters on an O-113a, while the letters within each group appeared normally spaced. The owner recalled a diameter near 33.6 mm.
The collector discussion presents that as an observation and remembered measurement. It is not a grading service’s finding that the planchet, or unstruck blank, was oversized.
How to Identify
Take fresh caliper readings across several directions. An early half can be slightly out of round, so a single widest reading is a poor basis for deciding how its blank was made.
Weigh the coin and photograph the complete edge inscription. Compare spacing inside the letter groups with spacing between them to test the actual observation behind the report.
Extra width has more than one possible cause. Normal spreading during striking or later flattening can enlarge a coin, and later flattening may crush face details or edge letters.
Repeatable measurements are only the beginning of the investigation. The condition of the design and the full edge pattern must support an oversized blank before the report can be treated as confirmed.
What It’s Worth
Estimated range: $1,200–$2,000 for worn Small Stars examples around VF30–VF35. No additional oversized-planchet premium is included.
A PCGS VF35 O-113 brought $1,740 in January 2025, while a VF30 sold for $1,200 in September 2023. Neither result is a sale of the collector’s reported O-113a.
Conclusion
The border, chin, reverse 5, and lettered edge each answer a different question about an 1807 Capped Bust half dollar. A coin may combine features, but a strong beard and an uncertain size report do not carry the same weight as evidence.
The $1,200–$41,000 estimates depend on the matched variety and condition. Preserve the distinction between confirmed diagnostics and collector observations when selecting a comparison.
