Capped Bust Half Dime (1829 - 1837)
Capped Bust Half Dime (1829 - 1837): identify, compare, and value
Use this page to identify details collectors compare, understand value clues, and check current market examples.
Value Guide Summary
Use this page to understand what this collectible is, what details collectors usually compare, and where to check current market examples.
What collectors look for
Original condition, age, maker marks, materials, completeness, unusual variants, and documented history usually matter most.
How to identify examples
Compare markings, construction details, finish, size, period-correct materials, and known design features before assuming authenticity.
Value clues
Rarity, demand, condition, eye appeal, provenance, and whether similar examples are actively selling can all affect market value.
Red flags
Watch for reproductions, heavy restoration, replaced parts, fantasy pieces, unclear photos, and listings with vague descriptions.
Not until 1829, the year of Andrew Jackson's arrival at the White House, did the half dime finally emerge from hibernation. When it did, it had a different look. For one thing, it was slightly smaller in diameter (although its weight was the same). More noticeably, it had undergone a face lift: The Draped Bust design was gone, and in its place was a left-facing portrait of Liberty with curly hair tucked inside a mobcap (a cap with a high, puffy crown)a likeness sometimes called the Turban Head but more commonly referred to as the Capped Bust. Gone, as well, was the old heraldic eagle; instead, the reverse depicted a naturalistic eagle with a shield superimposed on its breast.
These were not entirely new designs: Portraits very much like them had graced some of the nation's larger silver coins (the half dollar, quarter and dime) since as far back as 1807, when the basic designs were fashioned by German-born Mint engraver John Reich. They were new to the half dime, though and in any case William Kneass, the Mint's chief engraver in 1829, had modified Reich's portraits sufficiently to be credited as designer of the later Capped Bust issues.