#1 Capped Bust Half Dollar Buyer Las Vegas & Henderson

History

The Capped Bust half dollar was minted from 1807 to 1839. It contained approximately 90% silver and 10% copper, (the exact fineness being .8924 silver and .1076 copper), and it weighed 13.48 grams. With respect to design, the front, or “obverse” shows a bust of Liberty with long hair and wearing a cap displaying the word “liberty” across the front. On the back of the coin or the “reverse”, there is an eagle with outstretched wings with a shield on its chest. The eagle is clutching a branch and arrows in its talons. The Capped Bust half dollar was only minted in the Philadelphia mint until 1838 and 1839 when it was also minted in the New Orleans mint.

While the main images on the obverse and reverse of the coin did not change, during the 32 year run of the series there were at least four distinct design changes. To begin with all coins from 1807 to 1836 had a lettered edge displaying the denomination of the coin. In 1809, both the portrait of Liberty as well as the eagle were remodeled slightly, both appearing a bit more robust than the 1807 and 1808 version. Starting in the latter part of 1836 and continuing until the end of the series in 1839, the lettered edge was changed to a reeded edge and the denomination was moved to the reverse of the coin. Additionally, the way in which the denomination was presented on the reverse changed from “50 cents” on the 1836 and 1837 coins to “Half Dol.” on the 1838 and 1839 coins. There were also many different varieties found on the coins of this series, including the use of small and large dates, small and large letters, over dates and other small variations too numerous to mention.

Value

Most coins in the series range from between $60 and $100 in the lowest grades to the low thousands of dollars in high mint state. Some of the varieties in the 1807 year can reach in the tens of thousands of dollars in the highest mint state as can certain unique varieties in 1811, 1812, 1815, 1817, 1820, 1830 and 1836. There are two dates that are extremely rare and command extremely high values in any condition, they are the 1839 with small letters on the reverse that can reach $65,000 in almost uncirculated condition, (mint state examples are not known), and the 1838 O, of which only 20 are believed to have been minted, with high mint state examples being worth in excess of $750,000.

Because there are so many varied opinions on the condition (or grade) of a coin, the aforementioned values reflect the highest retail prices that have been obtained for those coins that have been assessed by a third party grading company. Such coins have been authenticated, graded and encapsulated by expert coin grading companies to minimize any doubt as to their authenticity, quality and value and therefore their potential worth.

We Buy Capped Bust Half Dollars

We want to buy your coins and as a business it is our pledge to offer you the best value for your coins, however, always remember that the prices you may find online or in price guides usually represent the highest retail value for the coin in an already certified condition. As a trusted dealer we will have our coin specialists evaluate your coins at no cost and offer you a price that is both fair for you, but that also allows us to realize a reasonable profit.