1829 Capped Bust Dime (Curl Base 2)
Variety of the 1829 Capped Bust Dime struck at the Philadelphia Mint
- Mintage
- Not recorded
- Metal
- 89.24% silver, 10.76% copper
- Weight
- 2.7 g
- Diameter
- 18.8 mm (to 1827); 18.5 mm (from 1828)
Original illustration. Tap to flip. Not a photograph of the actual coin.
Face value · Metal value · Small premium · Collector premium · Significant rarity. We use bands because prices change daily.
What is an 1829 Capped Bust Dime (Curl Base 2) worth?
Value depends entirely on whether the coin is genuine and on its condition. Have any candidate authenticated before you buy or sell.
For market prices, check recent sold results for certified coins in the same grade.
Quick answers
- Is the 1829 Capped Bust Dime (Curl Base 2) rare?
- Yes. It's a variety or error, not a regular issue.
- Is the 1829 Capped Bust Dime (Curl Base 2) silver?
- Yes. It's 89.24% silver, 10.76% copper and holds 0.0775 troy ounces of pure silver.
- Where is the mint mark on an 1829 Capped Bust Dime?
- No mint mark. Every Capped Bust dime was struck in Philadelphia.
What to check on your 1829
- There's no mint mark on this one, so the date and condition are what matter.
- Check the date and mint mark under magnification for tooling or added letters. Scarce dates are the ones forgers alter.
- Don't clean it. Cleaning leaves fine scratches and an unnatural shine that collectors avoid.
- Old coins pick up damage over a long life. Look for holes, bends, scratches or signs of cleaning before you judge the grade, because a damaged coin sells for a fraction of a problem-free one.
- Judge the grade under good light. Check the curls around Liberty's face and the band of her cap, then the eagle's wing feathers and the claws.
Never clean it. Collectors pay strong premiums for original surfaces and natural toning on a date like this. A cleaned coin can lose half its value or more. Low-mintage dates attract altered and counterfeit coins. Check that the date have not been tooled or added, or buy one already certified by PCGS or NGC.
The story of the 1829
The close collar and a smaller dime (1828 to 1831)
In 1828 the Mint began striking dimes in a close collar, a steel ring that held the planchet as it was struck. The collar formed the reeded edge and gave every coin the same diameter. The new dimes are smaller and a bit thicker, about 18.5 millimeters across, with a raised rim and a row of small beads inside it. The design itself stayed the same, with the motto still on the reverse.
Philadelphia struck 125,000 dimes in 1828, in both the old Large Date style and the new Small Date reduced size. The 1828 is the scarce date of this group. Output rose to 770,000 in 1829. That year has several varieties, including the rare Curl Base 2, where the 2 in the date has a curled foot. There are also Small, Medium and Large 10 C. versions. The 510,000 dimes of 1830 include an 1830/29 overdate. In 1831 the Mint struck 771,350.
These coins look neater than earlier dimes because of the close collar, so they are a good place to start a Capped Bust set. For an 1828, check whether yours has the old wide rim and long denticles or the new beaded border. For an 1829, look at the base of the 2 with a magnifier. Collectors call the two styles the Large Size and Small Size types.
How to recognize it
Liberty faces left wearing a soft cloth cap, often called a mob cap, with a band across it reading LIBERTY. Curls fall from under the cap down her neck and a clasp holds drapery at her shoulder. Thirteen stars surround her, seven on the left and six on the right, with the date below. The reverse shows an eagle with a shield on its breast and partly raised wings. It holds an olive branch and three arrows, with E PLURIBUS UNUM on a scroll above its head. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA runs around the top and the value 10 C. sits below. Dimes of 1809 to 1827 and some of 1828 have long denticles and wide, uneven rims. Later coins are smaller, about 18.5 millimeters, with a raised rim and a ring of small beads.
Mintage chart
Specifications
| Series | Capped Bust Dime (1809–1837) |
|---|---|
| Year | 1829 |
| Mint | Philadelphia Mint |
| Mint mark | None |
| Strike type | Circulation strike |
| Mintage | Not recorded |
| Face value | 10¢ |
| Composition | 89.24% silver, 10.76% copper |
| Weight | 2.7 grams |
| Diameter | 18.8 mm (to 1827); 18.5 mm (from 1828) |
| Edge | Reeded |
| Silver content | 0.0775 troy oz (2.409 g) |
| Designer | John Reich |
Other 1829 Capped Bust Dime issues
| Coin | Mintage | Type | Silver |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1829 Capped Bust Dime | 770,000 | Circulation strike | 0.0775 oz |
| 1829 Capped Bust Dime (Curl Base 2) | – | Variety | 0.0775 oz |
Mintage: US Mint records as published in standard references, each figure checked against at least two independent sources. How we build these pages.