POLL: Do you collect half dimes?

Cladiator

Do you collect half dimes? Any design from 1792-1873.

OKbustchaser

Used to back in the day...just can't see them well enough any more.

ChangeInHistory

I voted as a type coin. If I see a nice looking half dime and the price is right, I'll buy one. I'm a casual half dime collector.

LanLord

I collect them, more than for a type set, less than by die marriage. I just grab them when I see one that catches my eye.

Louis

tjkillian

I collect Seated Liberty ones by date and mint. They are hard to see as I get older

Tom

AgMe

I have some...

JJM

had one for awhile, didnt do much for me.......

123cents

I have one in my type set and one other.

BillJones

I answered "Red Book set," but only collect them from 1792 to 1805. The reast I've only done type coins. I've been working on my set for more than 30 years now. It's registered across the street. If any one would like to see it, it's under my name and it's ranked #2 in the early half dime area.

2bucks

The darn things are so small I keep losing them!

Type set only for me.

mgoodm3

used to, still have one nice one

laserart

I don't collect them as such but I still have an 1856 Half dime , the first and only one I ever had.

100proof1957

part of my 1857 circ set

Barndog

I collect capped bust half dimes (1829-1837) by die marriage and remarriage. My goal is a minimum grade of XF-40 for each DM and remarriage. I need one more DM and five remarriages for a complete set -- then I will work on upgrades to meet the XF-40 standard across the board.

lathmach

I guess I have around 60-70 of the Seated Liberty half dimes laying around but I don't really collect them.
I have both the 1858 over inverted date and doubled date.
I have the 1854 V-1; A dealer that knows I'm into Seated coins gave it to me.
I look all the time for the 1840-O no drapery V-6, but so far I haven't found one.
I have the 1853-O no arrows. I bought it for $25 at a coin club meeting. That was opening bid for it in the auction, and no one else bid. It's a nice good, with only the very tops of the numbers in the date showing. Maybe it's what scared everyone off, but hey......that's the diagnostic for this coin.

Ray

RYK

I have four for my type set. I do not anticipate ever buying one again, unless I am replacing one of these four.

Nysoto

One capped for type, would like to add a flowing hair and draped bust someday.

Bill Jones NGC Early Half Dime Registry set is worth a look with great descriptions and pictures, his set is how registry sets SHOULD be presented.

STONE

Sorry Cladiator. I know when I talk on the half-dimes forum (UScoinrunner88) I give complements on you all's nice coins, but I still have yet to pick up one of those coins. That coin, Bust Dollars, Trade Dollars, and Some of the really early LG Cents are the only type coins I'm missing.

Cladiator

No worries Stone That just means there's more for me

Shamika

Negative.

Cladiator

Interesting results so far. I didn't expect to see so many that used to collect them and now don't.

MrHalfDime

I guess I would have to answer in the affirmative. Yes, I do collect half dimes. By date, by mint, by die marriage, by remarriage, by die state, and by golly any other way I can think of. Unlike many of you here, however, I do not collect anything else. This allows me to specialize on the series, and collect them in depth.

In the Liberty Seated series, Dr. Daniel W. Valentine listed 257 'varieties', of which I presently have 244. However, I have identified over 500 different die marriages for the series, and have nice examples of each. I hope to publish a comprehensive reference on the series just as soon as I stop finding new ones.

For the Capped Bust half dimes, I am fortunate to have completed the 91 die marriage set, with an average grade of AU-55 (I just upgraded three pieces at the ANA, but have not entered them yet). In addition, I am missing just five remarriages, just like Barndog. I also have examples of all of the known cuds in that series.

For the early (Flowing Hair and Draped Bust) half dimes, I presently have about half of the 32 known die marriages, including three of the R7 marriages. I am missing, however, both the 1792 and 1802 dates.

Despite the constant (but good natured) ribbing I receive from my fellow collectors, it is possible to collect just one denomination, exclusively, even for 25 years, without getting bored or approaching completion. I have amassed nearly 2000 half dimes, without any duplication, if you consider die states to be different.

So yes, I would say that I collect half dimes.

Conder101

I collected the seated set by date and mint. Didn't get it finished, still need the 46, 65, and 67. I keep looking at the capped bust coins by variety but so far just haven't been able to get myself worked up over them. (They just aren't copper. )

rdunnit

I love half dimes but I only have one. I bought it as a PCGS 1858 VF35 and I thought that the date looked doubled so I sent it with a few other coins to ANACS. It came back as ANACS 1858 VF35 Breen 3089. I'm not sure how scarce that is. Does anyone know?

RGT

I started by buying for type but quickly became attracted to them. First it was just the seated type but recently I've started buying capped bust. I guess I collect them by date but I identify the die variety if I can. I generally look for attractive MS or AU examples so I really don't have many or any tough dates. Here's my latest addition.

Boom

Yes, I do collect them but not for any of the listed reasons. I collect any coin that appeals to me whenever a nice piece at a good price presents itself.

rhedden

I collect by date, mint mark, and Redbook variety, and it has gotten to the point where there are only a few issues left that are missing. It's very hard to upgrade anything at this point without going to a retail dealer and paying too much. I will probably move on to collecting other series for a while, like Barbers and Seated quarters, rather than going deeper and collecting die marriages, like many other collectors have.

USCGCraig

That is a really nice set of raw half-dimes. Me like them.

MrHalfDime

rdunnit asked about his 1858 Breen 3089 half dime, and wondered how scarce it was. The B-3089 is the Valentine V5, described as a 'short pole' variety, so named because the obverse die was heavily lapped, removing the pole both above and below the hand, making the cap appear to be suspended. Walter Breen described the B-3089 as "very rare", but this should be taken with a large grain of salt, as with many of Walter's rarity ratings. Unlike broader census surveys, conducted over many years across the collections of many specialists, Walter's rarity ratings were based merely upon his own observations. No matter how knowledgable one collector may be, that experience cannot be greater than that of many specialists over many years.

The Liberty Seated Collectors Club conducted its most recent census survey of the Liberty Seated half dimes in the spring of this year. There were a total of 70 respondents, and a combined total of 6522 half dimes reported in the survey. In that survey, there were twenty-two (22) examples of the 1858 V5 Short Pole variety reported, including three in my own reference collection. Of the total number reported, there were 3 mint state examples, 3 AU examples, and 5 XF examples reported. I would consider the 1858 V5 Short Pole variety to be scarce, at best, and often misattributed. There simply is very little interest on the part of the general collecting fraternity for such a variety, so it is not widely publicised or collected. Also, with all due respect to ANACS, they have proven to be terrible at correctly attributing half dime varieties, as evidenced in the William Harmon/Heritage auction.

So you may have an example of the 1858 V5 B-3089 Short Pole half dime. If so, enjoy it for what it is, but don't expect any real premiums if you choose to resell it. The half dimes have never enjoyed the respect given the larger denominations, but are truly appreciated and enjoyed by a few serious collectors, many of whom have posted here.

RichieURich

Super set of half dimes, RHedden! Congratulations!

Yes I collect half dimes and am working on some of the Seated half dime varieties I don't have. I bought a few varieties in Denver and sold 2 low-grade 1846's.

Drizzt

I don't have any..yet

Seated Liberty Half Dimes is a set I'm saving for when I get bored of everything else. lol

NumisOxide

I just started to collect seated half dimes. There tiny but very cool.

rec78

I collect them by date and mm however they are not a priority at the present time. I pick up an occassional piece here and there. I need 73 more. If you ask me the same question five years from now-i will probably still need at least 70..Bob

thezookrew

I collect them - I call them nickels!!!!

Cladiator

So if we are to believe that folks voted honestly in the poll it's split pretty evenly between collectors (of one form or another) and non-collectors.

50.4% collect half dimes in some way
49.6% do not collect half dimes at all

TorinoCobra71

NO!



TorinoCobra71

rdunnit

Thank You very much Mr.Half Dime (Stephen). The coin is a Short Pole variety. I will never get rid of it because I actually bought it for my 2 year old son's Type Set when he was born. I love Half Dimes and will more than likely buy a few later on. I too think that they are a very underrated denomination. Once again, Thank You for all of the information on the 1858 Short Pole Half Dime. I appreciate it immensely.

Robert Dunn

HalfDimeDude

Revisted

Walkerfan

No, but I find them fascinating.

Would like to have one or two, as type examples.

I like anything with the Gobrecht design....

golden

Only as type coins.

Cladiator

Holy ancient thread Batman! LOL

Mr_Spud

Old thread, but here’s most of my half dimes

DNADave

I have some, maybe a dozen. Only two in slabs

jesbroken

I have a few, all raw, mainly from my 7070 sets.
Jim

Dave99B

I have one that I bought 27 years ago. A toned 1871 NGC 64. Does that count?

Dave

Barberian

I have three.

An 1868 in G4 that I purchased at a Beltway coin show for $10 over 35 years ago because it had a very low mintage (88.6K) and the lowest mintage US coin I had at that time was a 1931-S Lincoln.

A colorful 1856 ANACS MS62 off eBay for about $120 on a whim 18 years ago when I discovered eBay and restarted my interest in coins again.

A VF+ bust half dime for my type collection. I don't recall the date.

If I were younger, I'd probably collect them because I was into smaller coins then and didn't realize how affordable they are in mid grades and even MS63.

Floridafacelifter

Only one so far- 67 CAC

JRGeyer

Yes! I am at 40/77 of the Seated Half Dime major variety set in EF and above. Many more raw that do not meet that standard.

Very interesting set, fun and accessible to complete. A joy to find seated half dimes that are well struck with good surfaces. I am not particularly interested in acquiring a bunch of different die marriages for my collection, but I love digging into the resources available to bolster my knowledge about the set.

HoledandCreative

1792-1873, Holed and by date and mint. Need 10 or so yet.

EastonCollection

Yes. I have a Capped Bust half dime cabinet. I have all examples from the Redbook set each one with great eye appealing toning. I plan on upgrading them as long as the eye appeal is a better example of the one I currently own. I displayed my set at FUN this past year at David Perkin's table.