Torres Half Cent Collection

The J. Torres Collection of United States Half Cents

In the summer of 1971, at the carefree age of 12, a neighborhood friend showed me his Lincoln Cent collection by date and mintmark and ignited my interest in collecting coins. Soon I acquired the requisite blue Whitman folders and made frequent trips to coins shops and coin shows in suburban Chicago. There was a sublime joy and innocence collecting with nothing but a Redbook and a modest wallet. I pursued many other interests growing up, including wrestling in high

(Colonials, half cents, large cents, and Hard Times Tokens), Capped Bust half dollars, and Mexican Cap and Rays 8 Reales. My Half Cent Collection reflects this collecting journey. What began as a Type set grew into a Redbook set, and ultimately a Redbook set on steroids. I rely on three sources of collecting support: books, mentors, and coin clubs. I have a comprehensive numismatic library that includes many books on early coppers. These books explain and teach me die variety and die state attribution. My early copper mentor is

school and at the University of Notre Dame, but I never put my numismatic interests on hold. After college I attended law school at the University of Chicago, and upon graduation relocated from the Midwest to the Southwest and embarked on a 42+ year legal career, the last 21 years serving as the Chief Legal Officer of a large publicly traded corporation. With my recent retirement, I can now better indulge my coin appetite. For many years I pursued Type collecting. As my age and income increased, so did the size and quality of my collection. I matured as a numismatist and shifted my focus to coin series that offered the challenge and fun of attributing die varieties and die states. For the last decade or so I have concentrated largely on early copper

Chris McCawley. Chris is generous with his time, knowledge, advice, and friendship, and helps guide me through major purchases and sales. I am also grateful to numerous coin clubs for their teachings and camaraderie, including the ANA, Early American Coppers, the Colonial Coins Collectors Club, the John Reich Collectors Society, and others. This Half Cent Collection reflects my strong bias for coins with superior eye appeal and my fussy aversion to coins with spots. I hope that you enjoy the coins that are offered, and that you find something special to include in your collection.

The J. Torres Collection of Half Cents

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