I had been looking for a well struck, high grade Capped Bust Half Dime (Type 1829 to 1837) for a few years. I could never find the right one at the shows. These coins frequently have a sinking die (die failure) in the form of lumps in front of Ms. Liberty's face. This one is sharp. I had to pay a strong price for it despite the fact that it does not have "booming luster." The grade is MS-65, CAC. They don't get much sharper than this one.
That is a real beauty... Mine i regret was limited by my budget so a nice VF20, but I do love the design of this coin
A very nice coin. In case you're interested this is the LM-2 die marriage, Obverse 2 and Reverse W. Rarity 1. Key diagnostics: Obverse: S8 nearly touches cap. Reverse: A3 touches arrowhead. Upper loop of S2 fills during the striking run of this coin.
I've got the book. It was most welcome after years of Walter Breen's 1958 revision of the Valentine's book from the '30s being "the latest word." I use the half dime book mostly for the early dates, which are my main interest with respect to die varieties.
