Rare 1905 Half Dollar Errors (List & Pictures)
A collector survey lists a repunched S for 1905, but the supplied sale comparison is a different coin: a 1942-D/D half that brought $69 in 2024. Confirmed worn examples of the 1905 variety are estimated at $75–$350.
For these 1905 half dollar errors, the inspection centers on a small curve below the mintmark. Follow its shape before comparing the coin’s condition and price.
1905 Half Dollar A Second Curve Below the S: Repunched Mintmark Error
The notation S/S describes two overlapping impressions of the San Francisco mintmark. On this reported 1905 variety, the surviving part of the lower impression is the feature you are trying to find.
Locate the S below the eagle before moving in for a close view. What looks like an added bit of letter began in the die, the steel tool used to stamp the coin.
A worker’s repeated punch blows left the S in slightly different positions on that tool. The coins then copied the resulting overlap.
How to Identify
Keep the date and denomination in your initial photographs. You need a 1905 Barber half dollar, since an S/S on another coin series will have its own shape and location.
Magnify the mintmark about 10 times and concentrate on its lower boundary. A useful clue is a separate segment that follows the curve of an S, rather than an irregular lump attached to the main letter.
Change the direction of the lamp while keeping the coin still. This helps distinguish an actual raised outline from a shadow along the existing S.
Compare the result with an identified 1905-S/S example at a similar scale. A uniformly thick letter, a dent, or a flat shelf left by movement during striking can each create a doubled appearance without establishing this variety.
The Barber Coin Collectors’ Society survey records two reported examples. That is a count of survey reports, not proof that only two pieces exist.
As a basic check on a loose coin, an unworn Barber half is about 12.50 grams and 30.6 mm in diameter, with grooves around the edge. Wear reduces weight, and normal dimensions cannot confirm a repunched mintmark by themselves.
What It’s Worth
Estimated range: $75–$350 for identified examples in Good through Very Fine condition. Those grades cover worn coins, and the estimate includes the underlying value of the 1905-S half dollar.
The supplied comparison is a 1942-D/D half that brought $69 at Heritage in March 2024. ANACS graded it MS62, an unworn grade.
That sale concerns a different design, date, and mintmark variety. It gives context for a repunched letter but does not establish an auction value for the 1905-S/S.
Within the estimate, consider how much of the extra S can still be seen and how well the rest of the coin has survived. Scratched or cleaned surfaces can weaken appeal even when the mintmark is correctly identified.
Conclusion
For this variety, the decisive feature is a recognizable earlier S below the final mintmark. A thick or damaged letter needs closer inspection before it belongs in the estimated $75–$350 range.
The two survey reports support the variety’s listing without establishing its total population. Save clear views of the date, both faces, and the small extra curve so the identification can be checked as a complete coin.
