It's not often I add US coins, but with my German States collection slowing down, for a variety of reasons, I've begun adding a few type coins. I've never been the one to assemble date/mint mark sets and I'm happy with just one type example. I recently added a couple of my favorite US types, the half cent and half dime. Enjoy! I'm no expert grader, but I feel this half cent is better than AU50. But, I do see some gem+ grades on PCGS, plus a large mintage. So maybe mine is quite worn comparatively. Either way an attractive coin to me with little bits of red which I love on old copper. Initially, I was torn between two different half dimes, this example being a little more expensive. The lower mintage was what finally sold me between the two. Being out of the US market so long, I was surprised at how pricey some issues are now! I'm also toying with my new set up for photography and these photos are much better than they used to be.
Very nice coins. The 1851 I think I see a touch of wear across the crown and hair - but still very nice. And that half dime is also very nice. To good additions.
The Braided Hair 1849 to 1857 half cent type is fairly common in high grade. By this time the half cent was quite unpopular, and they didn’t circulate that much. It is rare to find one in less than EF condition. When I was collecting half cent by die variety about 40 years ago, I found that the 1851 was the most common date. Your half dime is harder to find in AU. Those coins saw a lot of use. The mintages were higher, however. And yes, U.S. coins are expensive. I completed my U.S. type set more than a decade ago. The really high priced pieces are the early designs. The early gold $2.50 coins (1796 - 1834) are the rarest and most expensive of all the type coins.
