Dick Osburn and Brian Cushing announce the release of their new book on Liberty Seated Dollars. “Liberty Seated Dollars-A Register of Die Varieties”, will be formally released at the Florida United Numismatists (FUN) winter convention in Tampa, Florida. Dick and Brian will be signing the book at their table-Osburn–Cushing Rare Coins, Table 535.
Dick and Brian are two of the top Liberty Seated specialists in the country.
Dick began collecting coins in 1955, and started specializing in Liberty Seated coinage in the early 1980’s. In 2003 he retired from his job in the aerospace industry to devote full time to coin dealing and collecting. In 2011 he became the first collector to assemble a complete set of certified mint state Seated Liberty halves. He sold this collection in 2011, and began a focus on Liberty Seated dollars, with the goal of writing this book, to document all known die marriages for all years of the series. That quest continues to this day.
In the early 1990’s he founded Dick Osburn Rare Coins, one of the first national dealerships to specialize exclusively in Bust and Liberty Seated silver coinage. He sold the business in 2010, but both he and the business (now known as Osburn–Cushing Numismatics, and owned by Brian) continue to maintain a presence at regional and national coin shows. Over the years, Dick has contributed much to the study of Liberty Seated coinage. He has authored more than a dozen articles for the Gobrecht Journal, the Journal of the Liberty Seated Collectors Club. His articles were voted best to appear in the Journal for the year 1999, and again for the year 2012. The year 1999 article, “An Analysis of Rarity and Population Estimates for Liberty Seated Half Dollars”, was also voted the best to appear in issues #76 through #100 of the Journal, a period of over 8 years.
Brian began his numismatic career working for J.J. Teaparty in 2004. There he developed a strong interest in attributing die varieties. He left J.J. Teaparty in 2007 and started his own business. In the summer of 2009 he was given the opportunity to become the Vice President and Senior Numismatist at Dick Osburn Rare Coins. He later acquired the business and operates it today as Osburn–Cushing Numismatics.
Brian has established himself as a nationally recognized dealer and specialist in all early United States silver coinage. He is a life member of the American Numismatic Association, a life member of the Silver Dollar Round Table and holds life memberships with both FUN and the Virginia Numismatic Association. He is currently the West Coast Regional Director of the Liberty Seated Collectors Club.
The new book covers all Liberty Seated dollars, beginning in 1840 and ending in 1873. Both business strikes and proofs are included. All known die marriages of each issue are described in detail, with estimated rarity ratings for each die marriage. Each issue is described in a separate chapter, a total of 48 chapters for the series. Also included are chapters on Terminology, Collecting Liberty Seated Halves, Grading, Rarity, Survival Rates and Population Estimates, Proofs vs. Business Strikes, and Restrikes. For variety collectors a list of the Top-30 Seated Dollar varieties is included. Many of these varieties have never before been described in numismatic literature.
The book is being self-published, with a limited number printed. The retail price of the soft-cover book is $95. The hard-cover edition is $129. For additional information please contact:
Dick Osburn
Brian Cushing