1834 Capped Bust Half Dime
Circulation strike struck at the Philadelphia Mint · 1,480,000 made
- Mintage
- 1,480,000
- Metal
- 89.24% silver, 10.76% copper
- Weight
- 1.35 g
- Diameter
- 15.5 mm
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 1834 Capped Bust Half Dime worth?
It's scarcer than a typical date, so even circulated examples sell above face and above their metal value. The best uncirculated coins are where the money is.
What would make yours worth more:
- Uncirculated condition with full original luster
- A die variety or minting error
- Certification by PCGS or NGC, which buyers expect for scarce dates
For market prices, check recent sold results for certified coins in the same grade.
Quick answers
- Is the 1834 Capped Bust Half Dime rare?
- Somewhat. 1,480,000 were made, fewer than most dates, so collectors treat it as a semi-key.
- Is the 1834 Capped Bust Half Dime silver?
- Yes. It's 89.24% silver, 10.76% copper and holds 0.0387 troy ounces of pure silver.
- Where is the mint mark on an 1834 Capped Bust Half Dime?
- No mint mark. Struck in Philadelphia.
- Which Philadelphia dates near 1834 are scarcer?
- The 1837 at 871,000, the 1832 at 965,000, the 1829 at 1,230,000, plus 3 more. So the 1834 is one of the easier dates of its stretch.
- How many 1834 Capped Bust Half Dime coins were made?
- 1,480,000.
What to check on your 1834
- There's no mint mark on this one, so the date and condition are what matter.
- 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 near Liberty's ear and the cap band, then the eagle's wing feathers.
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.
The story of the 1834
Philadelphia made 1,480,000 in 1834, up from 1.4 million in 1833. In 1835 the figure was 2.8 million.
No other mint struck it for circulation that year, so every 1834 you find is from Philadelphia. In the whole series, its mintage sits closest to the 1833 (1,370,000) and the 1831 (1,242,700).
Across Philadelphia's 9 Capped Bust Half Dime issues, the hardest to find is the 1837 with 871,000 made. The 1834 is one of the easier ones. Within the 1830s it's 6th smallest of 8, between the 1833 (1.4 million) and the 1836 (1.9 million).
Varieties and the end of the type (1833 to 1837)
Production rose steadily. Philadelphia struck 1,370,000 in 1833 and 1,480,000 in 1834. The 1834 includes a 3 over inverted 3, where the 3 was first punched upside down. In 1835 the Mint struck 2,760,000, the largest total of the type, with Large Date and Small Date dies and Large 5 C. and Small 5 C. on the reverse. The 1836 total of 1,900,000 also includes a 3 over inverted 3 and both sizes of 5 C.
The last year was 1837, when 871,000 Capped Bust half dimes were struck before the Seated Liberty design replaced it. The 1837 comes with Large 5 C. and Small 5 C. The Small 5 C. is the scarcer of the two. Gobrecht's Seated Liberty half dime followed later the same year, so both designs carry the date 1837. Proofs of these years exist only in tiny numbers. Many dates of this group survive in good numbers, so they are easy to find for a type set.
For a coin of these years, read the 5 C. on the reverse and compare its size with the letters of the legend. Then look closely at the 3 on an 1834 or 1836 for traces of an inverted digit. Most survivors are worn but readable. Since the design is small and the coins were often used hard, a coin with clear hair curls and feathers is in good condition.
Elsewhere in US coinage in 1834
The Coinage Act of 1834 reduced the gold content of US gold coins so that they would stop being melted and exported. The change set the gold-to-silver ratio at about 16 to 1.
How to recognize it
Liberty faces left in a cloth cap with a band reading LIBERTY. Her curls fall below the cap and a clasp fastens the 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, holding an olive branch and three arrows. E PLURIBUS UNUM is on a scroll above its head, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA runs around the top and 5 C. appears below. Struck in a close collar, the coin is about 15.5 millimeters across with a reeded edge, a raised rim and a ring of small beads inside it. There is no mint mark, since all were made at Philadelphia. The 5 C. is the quickest way to tell it from a Capped Bust dime, which reads 10 C.
Mintage chart
Specifications
| Series | Capped Bust Half Dime (1829–1837) |
|---|---|
| Year | 1834 |
| Mint | Philadelphia Mint |
| Mint mark | None |
| Strike type | Circulation strike |
| Mintage | 1,480,000 |
| Face value | 5¢ |
| Composition | 89.24% silver, 10.76% copper |
| Weight | 1.35 grams |
| Diameter | 15.5 mm |
| Edge | Reeded |
| Silver content | 0.0387 troy oz (1.205 g) |
| Designer | William Kneass, after John Reich |
Mintage: US Mint records as published in standard references, each figure checked against at least two independent sources. How we build these pages.