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A Brief
Introduction
Way back in 1961, I was a nine year old boy growing up in Santa Barbara, CA. Like most kids in those days we spent Saturdays playing outdoor games and basically running around on our neighbors’ lawn (at least until Mrs. Sturgess waved her cane and ran us off). When we needed money, we would round up all the soda bottles we could find and take them down to Mousers Grocery Store and get two cents a bottle. My goal was always to turn in five bottles for ten cents. Back then, that would get me a candy bar and five pieces of “Penny” candy.
One day my friend Jimmy Kinsey and I went down to the store with our bottles where Mr. Mouser gave me my ten Lincoln cents. One looked oddly different. I asked Mr. Mouser, “What kind of penny is this”? Mr. Mouser told me it was a steel war penny and that is just the way they looked.
Jimmy told me his dad collected coins and was sure he could tell us about it. Off on the bikes to Jimmy’s house we rode, with my treasure in hand. Jimmy’s dad (whose name is lost to history) looked at it and explained that the war effort needed copper and so they made Lincoln cents out of steel in 1943. He then pointed out the mint mark and explained that the “S” meant it was made in San Francisco. I guess I looked very interested (I was) because he asked me if I would like to look at some cool stuff from his collection. I jumped at the chance. Jimmy and I must have spent a couple of hours there as he showed me a plethora of coins that until then, I had never seen. I was in awe, and had a million questions which he tried to answer. Finally he told me that a coin show was happening the next Saturday and invited me to come along with Jimmy and himself.
To a nine year old this coin show was amazing! Everywhere I looked were cases and cases filled with coins. At one table a dealer asked me what I collected. I told him I hadn’t started yet, but I would probably save “Pennies”. He handed me an old used Library of Coins Lincoln Cent 1909-1940 coin album and told me I could have it. Not only did he give me the folder, but it had about a dozen Lincoln Cents in it. The only stipulation was to come back next year and show him how many holes I filled. Little did Jimmy Kinsey’s father know, but he started me on a journey that has taken me down some magical roads for nearly fifty years. Wherever you are Mr. Kinsey, thank you for launching me into a fascinating world.
Forward
It’s funny how things work out. It was never my intention to write and publish a guide book to coins, much less Capped Bust Half Dimes. Ventures such as these, in my opinion, were best left to the serious writers and students of numismatics.
My original purpose in writing this guide was entirely selfish, it was to provide me a quick resource while on the bourse looking to attribute and cherry pick coins. “Federal Half Dimes 1792-1837”, by Logan and McCloskey is THE resource for those who collect by die marriage, and those who wish to explore this area of collecting. But at nearly 300 pages and with small black and white pictures, proper attribution at a show could be difficult.
The original goal was simply to focus on the twenty-five R-5 through R-8 varieties of the series, and to provide a fast (and hopefully) easy way to identify them. The key to this I felt, was large clear photographs of each of the top 25 varieties. As my work on this progressed, I was encouraged by others to expand the work and make it available to others.
This has truly been a labor of love. In the relative short time that I have focused on Capped Bust Half Dimes, I have learned volumes from many Half Dime enthusiasts, the Logan and McCloskey book, and several of the internet forums. I would recommend two things for those looking for information. First, find and buy “Federal Half Dimes 1792-1837”, by Russell J. Logan and John W. McCloskey. It is difficult to find, and pricey, but an absolute MUST. In 2010 I found a few for sell between $75 and $150. Second, visit and join, “Collectors Universe” message boards. It is free and hosted by PCGS, the most respected third party grading service. A tremendous amount of information is available there simply by searching and asking.
I first ventured into collecting die varieties when Richard Snow first published his excellent work in 1992, “Flying Eagle & Indian Head Cents”. His work opened a whole new world to me and I was hooked! I eventually discovered two die varieties that are attributed to me (1896 S-7 and S-9) in his 2009 revision.
Over the years I completed sets of many different series, from Indian Cents through Morgan and Peace Dollars, a toned set of PCGS Proof Liberty Nickels and several other sets. About this time I had an epiphany as I was walking the bourse one day at one of the Long Beach coin shows. I realized that with enough money, one could visit three or four major coin shows and probably complete most 19th and 20th coin series. It was then that I decided I needed a change.
Fast forward a few years and enter a fellow collector who I have the privilege of calling one of my best friends, Troy Nelson. Troy is a collector of Bust Half Dollars by Overton Number. He has hundreds of them, most in AU or better. Recently I had the opportunity to photograph his coins, and turn the pictures into a great book for him. As I worked photographing his coins, I really became aware of the beauty and significance of die marriages. That’s when I decided to start collecting by die marriage. I would have loved to collect Bust Half Dollars by Overton number, but with well over 400 varieties, with several R-7 and R-8 coins, in the grades that I like, it just wasn’t something that I had the time and resources to do in a manner that would satisfy me.
Enter the Capped Bust Half-Dime. This seemed to be the perfect series to collect by die marriage. With 123 recognized varieties, and with only two R-7’s and one R-8. What is also attractive is buying XF to AU coins for a tenth of the price of a Capped Bust Half Dollar. For the collector on a more restricted budget, lower grades can be purchased for the price of a dinner. Not only that, but rare varieties can still be found sitting in dealer inventories waiting to be discovered. In the course of the first year of collecting these little gems, I cherry picked five R-6’s and one R-7.
When I first started collecting these beautiful little coins, I would be flipping back and forth between pages of the Logan & McCloskey book trying to figure out what variety I had in my hand. It was then that I decided to try and simplify the process.
I have tried to identify key pick-up points on the rarest 25 coins of the series, and provide large photographs with the identification points noted. All of these 25 are R-5 to R-8 in rarity.
So, go forth and gather! Find the rare varieties that are still sitting undiscovered in coin shops, pawn shops and flea markets across the land.
I hope to see you on the bourse!
So what’s a Remarriage?
Simply stated, a remarriage is the re-pairing of dies that were previously used in that combination earlier that same year of issue. As an example, consider the 1829 LM-6 which uses obverse 4 with reverse E. The first use of this combination was LM-6.1, but the obverse die, number 4, had been initially paired with reverse D creating LM-5. At some point in this process the D die was deformed creating concave coins. At that point, the D reverse was discarded and the new E Die replaced it, hence LM-6.1. Later on as dies were taken off the production line for repair (most often for lapping*) replaced dies were put back in to service, often times with an opposing die that it had been mated to previously, hence LM-6.2. The scenario carries though again, and we have LM-6.3. So with this particular example, we have three distinct varieties, minted at different times, but all with the same die paring.
So how do we tell them apart? Since the die(s) in question were used at different points in their life, we look for identifying marks such as filled letters, die cracks, die swelling, die chips and missing letters or other portions of the devices on the coin. Let’s look at a couple of examples to get a better idea of what we’re talking about.
Notice on the top image how the E die has continued to deteriorate with the addition of the large die crack noted, and the filling of the top loop on S2.
Of the 123 acknowledged varieties, 31 are re-marriages and of the Top 25, 5 are re-marriages. As to whether you collect all 123 varieties, or the 92 varieties without re-marriages, is certainly your call. I do believe that if you chose to collect the 92 initial varities, you will inveritably begin adding the additional 31 re-marriages as you progress.
Standard Rarity Scale
R-1= >1000 R-5 = 31-75
R-2= 501-1000 R-6 = 13-30
R-3=201-500 R-7 = 4-12
R-4=76-200 R-8 = 1-3
Of the 25 varieties discussed here, 12 are R-5’s, 10 are R-6’s, 2 are R-7’s and 1 is an R-8.
Introduction
Way back in 1961, I was a nine year old boy growing up in Santa Barbara, CA. Like most kids in those days we spent Saturdays playing outdoor games and basically running around on our neighbors’ lawn (at least until Mrs. Sturgess waved her cane and ran us off). When we needed money, we would round up all the soda bottles we could find and take them down to Mousers Grocery Store and get two cents a bottle. My goal was always to turn in five bottles for ten cents. Back then, that would get me a candy bar and five pieces of “Penny” candy.
One day my friend Jimmy Kinsey and I went down to the store with our bottles where Mr. Mouser gave me my ten Lincoln cents. One looked oddly different. I asked Mr. Mouser, “What kind of penny is this”? Mr. Mouser told me it was a steel war penny and that is just the way they looked.
Jimmy told me his dad collected coins and was sure he could tell us about it. Off on the bikes to Jimmy’s house we rode, with my treasure in hand. Jimmy’s dad (whose name is lost to history) looked at it and explained that the war effort needed copper and so they made Lincoln cents out of steel in 1943. He then pointed out the mint mark and explained that the “S” meant it was made in San Francisco. I guess I looked very interested (I was) because he asked me if I would like to look at some cool stuff from his collection. I jumped at the chance. Jimmy and I must have spent a couple of hours there as he showed me a plethora of coins that until then, I had never seen. I was in awe, and had a million questions which he tried to answer. Finally he told me that a coin show was happening the next Saturday and invited me to come along with Jimmy and himself.
To a nine year old this coin show was amazing! Everywhere I looked were cases and cases filled with coins. At one table a dealer asked me what I collected. I told him I hadn’t started yet, but I would probably save “Pennies”. He handed me an old used Library of Coins Lincoln Cent 1909-1940 coin album and told me I could have it. Not only did he give me the folder, but it had about a dozen Lincoln Cents in it. The only stipulation was to come back next year and show him how many holes I filled. Little did Jimmy Kinsey’s father know, but he started me on a journey that has taken me down some magical roads for nearly fifty years. Wherever you are Mr. Kinsey, thank you for launching me into a fascinating world.
Forward
It’s funny how things work out. It was never my intention to write and publish a guide book to coins, much less Capped Bust Half Dimes. Ventures such as these, in my opinion, were best left to the serious writers and students of numismatics.
My original purpose in writing this guide was entirely selfish, it was to provide me a quick resource while on the bourse looking to attribute and cherry pick coins. “Federal Half Dimes 1792-1837”, by Logan and McCloskey is THE resource for those who collect by die marriage, and those who wish to explore this area of collecting. But at nearly 300 pages and with small black and white pictures, proper attribution at a show could be difficult.
The original goal was simply to focus on the twenty-five R-5 through R-8 varieties of the series, and to provide a fast (and hopefully) easy way to identify them. The key to this I felt, was large clear photographs of each of the top 25 varieties. As my work on this progressed, I was encouraged by others to expand the work and make it available to others.
This has truly been a labor of love. In the relative short time that I have focused on Capped Bust Half Dimes, I have learned volumes from many Half Dime enthusiasts, the Logan and McCloskey book, and several of the internet forums. I would recommend two things for those looking for information. First, find and buy “Federal Half Dimes 1792-1837”, by Russell J. Logan and John W. McCloskey. It is difficult to find, and pricey, but an absolute MUST. In 2010 I found a few for sell between $75 and $150. Second, visit and join, “Collectors Universe” message boards. It is free and hosted by PCGS, the most respected third party grading service. A tremendous amount of information is available there simply by searching and asking.
I first ventured into collecting die varieties when Richard Snow first published his excellent work in 1992, “Flying Eagle & Indian Head Cents”. His work opened a whole new world to me and I was hooked! I eventually discovered two die varieties that are attributed to me (1896 S-7 and S-9) in his 2009 revision.
Over the years I completed sets of many different series, from Indian Cents through Morgan and Peace Dollars, a toned set of PCGS Proof Liberty Nickels and several other sets. About this time I had an epiphany as I was walking the bourse one day at one of the Long Beach coin shows. I realized that with enough money, one could visit three or four major coin shows and probably complete most 19th and 20th coin series. It was then that I decided I needed a change.
Fast forward a few years and enter a fellow collector who I have the privilege of calling one of my best friends, Troy Nelson. Troy is a collector of Bust Half Dollars by Overton Number. He has hundreds of them, most in AU or better. Recently I had the opportunity to photograph his coins, and turn the pictures into a great book for him. As I worked photographing his coins, I really became aware of the beauty and significance of die marriages. That’s when I decided to start collecting by die marriage. I would have loved to collect Bust Half Dollars by Overton number, but with well over 400 varieties, with several R-7 and R-8 coins, in the grades that I like, it just wasn’t something that I had the time and resources to do in a manner that would satisfy me.
Enter the Capped Bust Half-Dime. This seemed to be the perfect series to collect by die marriage. With 123 recognized varieties, and with only two R-7’s and one R-8. What is also attractive is buying XF to AU coins for a tenth of the price of a Capped Bust Half Dollar. For the collector on a more restricted budget, lower grades can be purchased for the price of a dinner. Not only that, but rare varieties can still be found sitting in dealer inventories waiting to be discovered. In the course of the first year of collecting these little gems, I cherry picked five R-6’s and one R-7.
When I first started collecting these beautiful little coins, I would be flipping back and forth between pages of the Logan & McCloskey book trying to figure out what variety I had in my hand. It was then that I decided to try and simplify the process.
I have tried to identify key pick-up points on the rarest 25 coins of the series, and provide large photographs with the identification points noted. All of these 25 are R-5 to R-8 in rarity.
So, go forth and gather! Find the rare varieties that are still sitting undiscovered in coin shops, pawn shops and flea markets across the land.
I hope to see you on the bourse!
So what’s a Remarriage?
Simply stated, a remarriage is the re-pairing of dies that were previously used in that combination earlier that same year of issue. As an example, consider the 1829 LM-6 which uses obverse 4 with reverse E. The first use of this combination was LM-6.1, but the obverse die, number 4, had been initially paired with reverse D creating LM-5. At some point in this process the D die was deformed creating concave coins. At that point, the D reverse was discarded and the new E Die replaced it, hence LM-6.1. Later on as dies were taken off the production line for repair (most often for lapping*) replaced dies were put back in to service, often times with an opposing die that it had been mated to previously, hence LM-6.2. The scenario carries though again, and we have LM-6.3. So with this particular example, we have three distinct varieties, minted at different times, but all with the same die paring.
So how do we tell them apart? Since the die(s) in question were used at different points in their life, we look for identifying marks such as filled letters, die cracks, die swelling, die chips and missing letters or other portions of the devices on the coin. Let’s look at a couple of examples to get a better idea of what we’re talking about.
Notice on the top image how the E die has continued to deteriorate with the addition of the large die crack noted, and the filling of the top loop on S2.
Of the 123 acknowledged varieties, 31 are re-marriages and of the Top 25, 5 are re-marriages. As to whether you collect all 123 varieties, or the 92 varieties without re-marriages, is certainly your call. I do believe that if you chose to collect the 92 initial varities, you will inveritably begin adding the additional 31 re-marriages as you progress.
Standard Rarity Scale
R-1= >1000 R-5 = 31-75
R-2= 501-1000 R-6 = 13-30
R-3=201-500 R-7 = 4-12
R-4=76-200 R-8 = 1-3
Of the 25 varieties discussed here, 12 are R-5’s, 10 are R-6’s, 2 are R-7’s and 1 is an R-8.
