Another new purchase: Bust half dime

[RGT]

Last week I was watching an 1834 bust half dime that Hayden had spammed the boards with in NGC AU58 on ebay. As I watched his coin get bid up I found another 1834 in PCGS AU58 that closed the day before Hayden's. While there was nothing wrong with Hayden's coin, I liked the PCGS coin better.

 

Now I am usually cheap and look for bargains, but I also want decent looking coins and will pass on coins that don't have good appeal (unless they are rediculously cheap). This coin wasn't starting off cheap and I was torn. But before the auction closed Hayden's coin was bid up past the opening bid of the PCGS coin, so I decided to go for it. I did have to outbid one other bidder to get it. It just arrived today.

 

 

One thing that attracted me to this coin was the die marriage. It is an LM-3 which is a R3 variety. One interesting thing about the LM-3 is that it used the same obverse die as the LM-1. If you check the Heritage archives you will see that there were two LM-1's and three LM-3's in the Reiver sale. Both the LM-1's were designated as "3 over inverted 3" while none of the LM-3's were designated. Having come from the same obverse die, the LM-3 is also a "3 over inverted 3" variety.

 

Of the three LM-3's in the Reiver sale, the highest graded one was XF45. L & M state that high grade examples of this variety are hard to locate.

 

You might have noticed from the pictures that the coin looks a bit rough around the neck, lower curls and clasp. Apparently the die developed rust pits between the time it was used for LM-1 and when it was used again for LM-3.

 

The reverse die was used for LM-2 and was lapped on latter die state examples. The die was lapped again while being used to produce the LM-3. The leaves and the arrow shafts show a good bit of weakness.

 

I am quite happy with the coin. While I still haven't completed a date set and haven't even considered a variety set I do like to pick up scarcer varietys for my date set. The LM-3 is tied with the LM-5 for the scarcest of the 1834 varieties.

[HaydenTubbs]

Ummm,actually I was only spamming that one on the BST.

 

The better variety not withstanding,your coin is very attractive. I would have taken this coin over mine any day! Congrats on the pickup.

 

 

Hayden

[EZ_E]

cough, cough... AT ...cough, cough

 

 

[HaydenTubbs]

cough, cough... AT ...cough, cough

 

 

 

All in favor of Victor being banned?

[RGT]

Ummm,actually I was only spamming that one on the BST.

 

 

True, but I needed to get that jab in.

 

 

cough, cough... AT ...cough, cough

 

 

 

Impossible. Didn't you see the PCGS slab?

 

[Bruceswar]

This is not the large 4 variety is it? It seems like the regular one to me

[Hoot]

Terrific coin with great eye appeal! Nice informative post on the subject.

 

Hoot

[TomB]

I like your coin quite a bit and have no doubt it is better than anything Hayden spams the boards with.

[MikeInFL]

Neat coin. I have the same coin a few years later with a similar cud in the 8:

 

[MikeKing]

nice coin

[RGT]

This is not the large 4 variety is it? It seems like the regular one to me

 

I believe the large and small 4 varieties are on the 1834 dimes, not half dimes.

[RGT]

Neat coin. I have the same coin a few years later with a similar cud in the 8:

 

It seems that is a popular place for a die chip. The upper loop of S2 on the reverse is also a popular place for a die chip. From your picture I think yours is obverse die 5 which was used on LM12, LM13 and LM14. I'm guessing LM12 since it's the most common variety (R2) and I don't see a die crack between the 3 and 2 in the date.

[Bruceswar]

This is not the large 4 variety is it? It seems like the regular one to me

 

I believe the large and small 4 varieties are on the 1834 dimes, not half dimes.

 

You are correct ... I for some reason thought you posted a dime... silly me