Unlike many collectors, I like small coins. For most collectors, "bigger is better." That's why most all silver dollars, but most especially the early dollars (1794 to 1803) and the Morgan Dollars, are so popular. As for the small coins, like the half dimes, I've heard collectors say, "I hate those little things." If the supplies of coins were equal, that would make the early half dimes less expensive. The trouble is they are all very scarce. So even though a smaller number of collectors like them, there are not very many pieces available. When I was high school (mid 1960s), I dreamed of getting an early half dime, but they were way out of my price range. At any rate the dealer from whom I bought a lot of coins, the coin department at Gimbels Department Store in Philadelphia almost never had them. When they did, the price was a few hundred dollars, which may as well have been $1 million for me. I couldn't save that kind of money. The alternative was get a Capped Bust half dime, which was issued from 1829 to 1837. In those days, the retail price for a common date and variety in "Gem Unc." was $23.50. The trouble was, the dealers there told me, "Those coins are really in tough in Unc." I ended up buying an AU for $16.00, which didn't please me that much. It was a mediocre strike and not that attractive. As an adult collector, I have had several pieces for my type set. This was the piece I had during to 1980s to around 2005. This piece was nice, except for the fact that it had been dipped and was retoning. It was in an NGC MS-64 holder. I sold it when I was a dealer. Later I upgraded to this one. This one is also graded MS-64, but it has a better claim to "original surfaces." Recently I bought this one from the Summer FUN Heritage auction. It was expensive because it's in a PCGS MS-65 holder with a CAC sticker. This is a very well struck example. It might be what some people would call "hammered." The only factor that keeps it from grading higher is that the luster is frosty and subdued. In 1837, the people at the mint finally concluded have there was just too much detail in these tiny coins to strike them well consistently. The three pieces I have posted here were very well struck. Frequently some of the details will be mushy, and many coins have a "horn" like projection that appears above the bust of Ms. Liberty. I have concluded that it is a clash mark form the eagle's wing on the reverse. The replacement for the Capped Bust design was the No Stars Seated Liberty Half Dime. Some collectors call this piece a "baby Gobrecht" because it has the same design as the famous dollars dated 1836. There are Proof examples of the Capped Bust Half Dime, but they go for a lot of money. Decent, but not great examples run from $12 to $14 thousand. The 1829 is interesting because it is claimed those Proof coins were made when the second Philadelphia was was being phased into production. Still, I don't love the Capped Bust Half Dime that much, so I am going to stick with a Mint State example. Here is a Gobrecht Dollar which you can compare to the half dime design. This is one of the first 1,000 pieces the mint issued in 1836. They issued 600 more in 1837. After that they issued additional pieces into the 1860s to satisfy collector demand. This piece as a "coin turn" for the obverse and reverse dies, and the eagle is flying "onward and upward" when the coin is turned on the horizontal axis.
Nice writeup. I've wanted a "No Stars" half dime for my collection for a long time, still haven't come across an affordable and CAC approved one yet. One day. Here is my Capped Bust Half Dime:
Back in the 1960s and ‘70s, the No Stars Half Dime was a bit of an orphan. “The Red Book” listed it in nice grades, like VF and EF, for way more than it was worth. You could buy then at “bargain prices” like $40 when the Guide Book said they were worth $70. I think that disparity has disappeared today.
What a great post! H10s are my fav thanks to Paddy. I got my no-stars example at the Bay State show last year. Please forgive not removing it from the 2x2
For a Cap Bust my fav is this 1836 for the original surfaces and the baseball-seam die crack across the obverse. Although I own a fair amount of Half Dimes, I have no uncirculated examples. The prices are a little too high for me, so I tell myself I prefer my 19th century coinage with a little wear on em!
The only half dime I have is my prooflike example. Its kind of hard to gauge the mirrors on this one, because these pictures were taken to showcase the toning.
I promise I'm not stalking @johnmilton but I scan the forum for half dimes, and he's kind enough to author some great threads on the topic. @Nathan401, I love your 1836 LM-2! At R3, it's the rarest marriage in this post, so a tip-o-the-hat to you! LM-2 is the pairing of 1836 Obverse 1, and Reverse FF (recognizable with the small 5c where the 5 and C are far apart). It's a toughie - and it took me over 3 years to find a "forever" piece for my set. 1836 LM-1.1 (first of two LM-1 remarriages) pairs the brand-new 1836 Obv 1 with the fifth use of Rev DD (which saw its first four pairings in the coins dated 1835). 1836 LM-1.2 (second of two remarriages) pairs 1836 Obv 1 with the seventh and terminal use of reverse DD. Terminal - because of the big cud over TED. The bisecting obverse die crack on your coin happens during the striking of LM-1.2. That obverse then goes to strike your LM-2 coin with the die crack evident on all LM-2 specimens. Here's my LM-1.2 showing the imperfections of both Obv 1 and Rev DD. Note that stars 3 and 4 are super weak; they're still on the die and come back for your LM-2, but the cud on the reverse causes them not to strike up. 1836 LM-1.2 TrueView by bikergeek posted Sep 2, 2023 at 10:48 PM And if all that talk about "fifth use" and "seventh use" of the reverse DD makes you think you can't tell the players without a scorecard - well, the Logan / McCloskey book Federal Half Dimes 1792-1837 has the scorecard for ya: Capped Bust Half Dime Rev DD Deterioration by bikergeek posted Sep 2, 2023 at 10:48 PM
