I think I need to stop buying coins for awhile, lest I go broke.

But I couldn't resist this one.This is just to remind myself that I said I would post the reasons for my buying the 'next 10 coins' for my collection. Well, I'm up to coin #4 with #5 soon to follow. If this bores you, fine, I'd be bored too, if it wasn't for the fact that I really believe, really really believe, that the more questions you ask about a given coin and the more positive answers you can come up with, the greater the likelihood it will be a 'great' coin. Irrespective of grade, mind you.The coin in question today is an 1812 Bust Half that I picked up from a dealership. 1. I've been looking for a decent 1812 for a long time, and I found a more than decent one to fit this slot.2. The surfaces are literally, almost flawless. This is a great plus, no matter what the grade. 3. The strike, I would say, is less than 'very good', so why would I want this coin? Well, my sense is that this is as good a strike as you're going to get from a very worn die, and my guess is that this coin was struck by a very worn die. The second aspect that I mentioned above, and the remaining aspects in looking at this coin are so overwhelming, that the poor strike becomes moot in my book.4. The luster is amazing, as evidenced by the flow lines you can see at the periphery. Also, the luster is much more than I would expect in an AU50. A strong point in its favor.5. The toning is light but is created by a thick skin. What do I mean by that? Well, the coin has been obviously dipped. But the dipping was a good one in that the luster is unimpeded, and a nice skin has developed around the coin. So the toning is very light, but with this coin, it allows the luster to really shine through without it looking fake or stripped. Another strong plus.6. The coin shows evidence of heavy die clashing. If you look at the reverse in my photo, you'll see the results of the clashes. There are many collectors far more educated than I am who would have a preferance for an early die state that would be free of these marks, but I love them nonetheless. In fact, I find them really exciting to look at. Another strong plus.7. The reverse die is rotated about 90 degrees. Another interesting perspective contributing to the excitement about this coin.8. The year 1812 is wrought with history...so to speak, and I think this is a great representative for the year!So overall, I am quite happy to add this coin to my collection.1812revers