1829 Capped Bust Half Dime Proof : A Collector’s Guide

By Charles Morgan and Hubert Walker for CoinWeek Notes …..
 

After a 24-year hiatus, half dime production resumed on July 4, 1829, with the ceremonial striking of an unspecified number of Proofs. One of these Proofs was placed into the cornerstone of the Second Philadelphia Mint.

The half dime had not been struck at the United States Mint since 1805, and a new design was needed as the Philadelphia Mint had updated its machinery and was now striking coins with a steam press that employed a close collar die.

The Capped Bust design is credited to William Kneass, the second Chief Engraver of the U.S. Mint, although Kneass likely adapted the design from a previous design executed by John Reich.

Although numismatist Walter Breen enumerated three, the leading grading services have attributed Proofs to five die marriages. The most common is the Logan-McCloskey-2 (LM-2) pairing, which is connected to the July 4 ceremony. All Proof die marriages were also used to produce business strikes.

* * *

Market Data and Noteworthy Specimens

We have not located the NGC PF67 coin. If it has been cracked out, NGC reports two at PF65.

Top Population: PCGS PR67+ (1, 8/2024), NGC PF67 (1, 8/2024), and CAC PR67 (1:0 stickered:graded, 8/2024).

1829 Capped Bust Half Dime, Logan-McCloskey-1

Valentine-7. Rarity-2 as a business strike. Some Proofs known. Scroll aligned with the left serif of the “E” of UNITED. Breen knows of only one, the Virgil Brand specimen.

• NGC PF64 #182074-010: Heritage Auctions, January 6, 2011, Lot 5469 – $13,800; Stack’s Bowers, August 13, 2011, Lot 7259 – $12,075. Swirling rust, blue, and pale green toning on both sides.

1829 Capped Bust Half Dime, Logan-McCloskey-2

Valentine-3. Proof strikings were produced as part of the July 4, 1829 cornerstone ceremony during the construction of the Second Philadelphia Mint. Along with the 1829, a 1792 half disme, and copies of the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and President George Washington’s farewell address were laid. The numeral “9” recut as well as the “C” in AMERICA and the “C” of the denomination. This is the most plentiful of the rare 1829 Capped Bust Half Dime Proof die marriages. Six known to Breen. The example presented to Mint Director Robert Patterson emerged in 2012, still in the possession of Patterson’s family.

• PCGS PR67+ #31385757: As PCGS PR67 CAC #50052491. Heritage Auctions, January 4, 2012, Lot 3114 – $103,500. PCGS PR67+ #31385757. “The D. Brent Pogue Family Collection,” Stack’s Bowers / Sotheby’s, May 2015, Lot 1017 – $102,812.50. Pogue novelty insert. Deeply toned in salmon, green, and steel grey. Isolated untoned areas on the obverse.
• PCGS PR65CAM CAC #50060268: As PR64. “The Louis E. Eliasberg, Sr. Collection,” Bowers and Merena, May 1996, Lot 908. As PCGS PR65CAM CAC #50060268. “The Greensboro Collection, Part V,” Heritage Auctions, January 9, 2014, Lot 5178 – $36,718.75; “The Speechless Collection,” Heritage Auctions, January 31, 2009, Lot 3558 – $43,200. Eliasberg on insert. Gold, red, green, and steel blue toning.
• PCGS PR65: “The William H. LaBelle, Sr. Collection,” American Numismatic Rarities, July 25, 2005, Lot 884 – $34,500. Butterscotch toning with steel blue along the periphery.
• PCGS PR64 CAC: Stack’s Bowers, March 28, 2011, Lot 1227 – $19,550.
• PCGS PR64 CAC #4926130: Heritage Auctions, February 5, 2009, Lot 838 – $20,700; Stack’s Bowers, August 31, 2014, Lot 20266 – Passed.

1829 Capped Bust Half Dime, Logan-McCloskey-3

Valentine-2. Recut 9. “C” in AMERICA and “C” in denomination also recut.

• ANACS PF63 #359466: Heritage Auctions, August 8, 2007, Lot 479 – $8,625.

1829 Capped Bust Half Dime, Logan-McCloskey-5

Valentine-6. Extra denticle between stars 9 and 10. Top of 1 is repunched. “E” of STATES is lower than the other letters. Also used to produce circulation strikes.

• NGC PF63: American Numismatic Rarities, June 23, 2004, Lot 2620 – $7,590.

1829 Capped Bust Half Dime, Logan-McCloskey-13

One known Proof. LM-13.1: no die clash marks present. In LM-13.2 and later, clash marks are present on Liberty’s ear. Die clash mark above the eagle’s head.

• PCGS PR64+ CAC CMQ #44703812: Heritage Auctions, August 1996, Lot 6901; “The Long Beach Connoisseur Collection,” Bowers and Merena, August 1999, Lot 78. As NGC PF64 #259896-015. “The Benson Collection, Part Two,” Goldberg Auctioneers, February 2002, Lot 347; “The Jones Beach Collection,” Heritage Auctions, January 3, 2007, Lot 847 – $14,950; “The Gibney Family Collection,” Heritage Auctions, April 2021, Lot 3347 – $13,200. As NGC PF65 #4423100-001. Heritage Auctions, August 18, 2021, Lot 3328 – $20,400. Upgraded by one point. As PCGS PR64+ CAC CMQ #44703812. Heritage Auctions, August 2021, Lot 3328; Stack’s Bowers, November 14, 2023, Lot 3039 – $96,000. Darkly toned. Curved streak from the bottom of Liberty’s chine to star 2. Only Proof LM-13.1 known.

* * *

Design

Obverse:

Liberty faces left, wearing a softly folded mobcap (a woman’s headdress of the time) with the word LIBERTY around the base. Long curled hair extends from under the edge of the cap along the front and sides, cascading down Liberty’s neck and over her shoulder. Folded drapery wraps around the neck and down and across the bust, and is secured by a clasp above the shoulder. Thirteen six-pointed stars are arranged on both sides of Liberty, seven to the left and six to the right, all inside the beaded or denticulated border inside the raised smooth rim. The date 1829 is at the bottom.

Reverse:

The reverse displays a centered eagle, wings partially raised, clutching an olive branch in the sinister claw (viewer’s right) and three arrows in the dexter claw (viewer’s left). A shield is placed over the body of the eagle, and a concentric banner folded backward at the ends displays the motto E PLURIBUS UNUM above the eagle. The denomination 5 C. is at the bottom. The legend UNITED STATES OF AMERICA follows along the top three-fourths of the coin inside the beads or denticles placed next to a raised smooth rim. All coins were minted in Philadelphia and display no mintmark.

Edge:

The edge of the 1829 Capped Bust Half Dime Proof is reeded.

Coin Specifications

* * *