1829 US Coins: Values & Mintages

US coinage in 1829

New this year: the Capped Bust Half Dime.

The Mint in the 1820s

Robert Scot, engraver since 1793, died in 1823 and William Kneass succeeded him the following year. Samuel Moore became director in 1824. The half dollar was the workhorse of the decade: banks used it as their main reserve coin and many millions were struck and stored rather than spent, which is why Capped Bust halves of the 1820s are still relatively easy to find.

Cents were coined in the hundreds of thousands to low millions each year, still from imported copper planchets. Gold coins continued to leave the country because their gold was worth more abroad than their face value at home. The close collar, a ring that holds the planchet during striking and gives coins a uniform diameter and a crisp rim, came into use late in the decade on the smaller silver coins.

How many coins were made in 1829

Counting the circulation issues on this page, US mints struck 7,126,656 coins dated 1829 across 4 issues. That is 28% more than in 1828 (5,562,824). In 1830 the figure rose to 8,226,300.

Every circulation coin on this page came from Philadelphia.

Those coins held about 1,543,006 troy ounces of pure silver.

1829 coins by denomination

Cents: 1,414,500 struck in 1 circulation issue of the Coronet (Matron Head) Large Cent, down 37% on 1828.

Dimes: 770,000 struck in 1 circulation issue of the Capped Bust Dime, up 516% on 1828.

Half Dollars: 3,712,156 struck in 1 circulation issue of the Capped Bust Half Dollar, up 21% on 1828.

Odd Denominations: 1,230,000 struck in 1 circulation issue of the Capped Bust Half Dime.

Every 1829 circulation issue at a glance

• 1829 Capped Bust Dime: 770,000 struck, more than 68% of the series' 20 issues, up from 125,000 in 1828.
• 1829 Capped Bust Half Dime: 1,230,000 struck, 3rd lowest of 9 in the series.
• 1829 Coronet (Matron Head) Large Cent: 1,414,500 struck, 4th lowest of 24 in the series, down from 2,260,624 in 1828.
• 1829 Capped Bust Half Dollar: 3,712,156 struck, more than 74% of the series' 35 issues, similar to 1828.

Coronet (Matron Head) Large Cent: Date and letter size varieties

Mintages stayed between roughly 1.4 and 3.4 million each year as commerce expanded. This is a period of small but collectible changes in the punches: the 1828 has a Large Narrow Date and a Small Wide Date, while the 1829 comes with large letters and medium letters on the reverse. The 1834 combines large or small 8 with large or small stars in several pairings.

Collectors usually identify these cents by Newcomb numbers, from Howard Newcomb's reference on cents from 1816 to 1857. Proofs continue in tiny numbers and are rarities for every date. Better made planchets mean circulated coins from these years often look smoother than earlier Coronets. The dentils and stars tend to be sharper. Uncirculated pieces are scarce for most dates in this group, since there was no large hoard as with the earlier years.

See every Coronet (Matron Head) Large Cent →

Capped Bust Half Dollar: Peak lettered edge production

From 1825 the Mint struck about three to more than six million halves a year, reaching 6,412,004 in 1834. These high mintages make the dates of the late 1820s and early 1830s the most available Capped Bust halves and the usual choice for a type set. The lettered edge still reads FIFTY CENTS OR HALF A DOLLAR.

Varieties are plentiful. The 1828 has curled and square base 2 dates with large and small letters on the reverse. The 1830 comes with a small or large 0 and the 1832 with small or large letters. Collectors identify individual die pairs using the numbering system published by Al C. Overton. Coins of these years are often found with original toning in Fine to About Uncirculated, though cleaned and polished pieces are common.

See every Capped Bust Half Dollar →

Capped Bust Dime: The close collar and a smaller dime

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.

See every Capped Bust Dime →

Capped Bust Half Dime: The half dime returns

After a gap of twenty four years, the half dime came back in 1829. The reason is not recorded, but a coin between the cent and the dime was clearly useful for small purchases. Chief Engraver William Kneass adapted John Reich's Capped Bust design, with Liberty in a cloth cap and an eagle on the reverse holding an olive branch and arrows. E PLURIBUS UNUM appears on a scroll above the eagle and the value is shown as 5 C. The coin is about 15.5 millimeters across and weighs 1.35 grams.

Unlike earlier half dimes, these were struck in a close collar from the start. The collar formed the reeded edge and gave each coin an even diameter and a neat beaded border. Philadelphia struck 1,230,000 in 1829, 1,240,000 in 1830 and 1,242,700 in 1831. Output dipped to 965,000 in 1832. Thirteen stars surround Liberty, seven on the left and six on the right.

These early dates are common for their age. They are a good way to own a Capped Bust half dime without hunting for a rarity. Check the date and look at the cap band for LIBERTY, which wears quickly. Then examine the eagle's feathers and the scroll. Watch for cleaning, scratches and holes. Collectors attribute the dies with Logan-McCloskey numbers. With Philadelphia the only mint, no coin of the type has a mint mark.

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