Lot 2093

Two-tone with light gray devices and deeper gray fields. The obverse is weakly defined along the left border. A few abrasions are strictly consistent with the grade. Although no longer given the Rarity-7 rating, this is still solidly in the Rarity-6 range with perhaps 20 examples known.

This is the only use of the obverse. The reverse was later used for 1830 JR-2.

Die state difficult to determine due to the grade of this example.

John W. McCloskey discovered this variety in 1973. Fourteen years later, in Volume 2, Issue 3 of the Journal, he recounts the details of his discovery. A follow-up article by John McCloskey appeared in Volume 6, Issue 2 of the Journal and is reprinted here with permission. The discovery coin appeared on the cover of that issue.

"The cover of this issue present pictures of the obverse and reverse of the discovery specimen of the 1829 curled base 2 dime. This coin was purchased at a one day show in Dayton, Ohio in 1973 for $20 and was the specimen used to write the description for the JRCS Bust Dime book, published in 1984. The purchase price makes this transaction look like a wonderful bargain today, but at the time, it created no particular impression. In 1973 no one knew what varieties existed nor which varieties were rare.

"I started collecting Bust Dimes in 1968, and before long, I had completed a date set. While reference books were available for other silver Bust series, there was no published reference book available for Bust Dimes. I therefore attempted to describe the dies so that I could use descriptions at shows to identify the different varieties. By 1973 I already had eight varieties for 1829 and was looking for other varieties of this relatively common date. I found it easier to distinguish the reverse dies because the lettering UNITED STATES OF AMERICA was punched into the reverse die one letter at a time. The different positions of the letters relative to each other, and relative to lettering in the scroll, proved to be a good way to identify the reverse dies. When I examined the 1829 dime that would turn out to be the curled base 2 variety, I studied the reverse and determined that it was different from the eight pieces that I already owned. I looked at the obverse and only noted the die crack that ran from the neck to the bust as being distinctive.

"I purchased the coin, and when I got home, I placed it side by side with my other 1829 specimens on a table, viewing the reverse. I noted that it had a new reverse and was pleased that I had been able to purchase a new variety at the show. I then turned all of my 1829 dimes over and studied the obverse features for distinctive characteristics. It didn't take me long to recognize that my new coin had a date distinctively different from the other pieces. I was thrilled to discover the curled base 2 feature, but did not realize how important a discovery this would be. I knew from Overton's Early Half Dollar Die Varieties reference book that the 1827 and 1828 halves came with both the square base 2 and the curled base 2 punches in the date. At the time it didn't seem too surprising to find both styles of punches used on the 1829 dimes.

"After I recognized my new purchase as the curled base 2 variety, I began searching for a higher grade specimen. Only when I failed to turn up another example after extensive searching, did I realize that I must have stumbled upon an extremely rare variety. I told other collectors about the variety and it has been a source of collector interest ever since. While I have not been able to locate another example in nineteen years of searching, other specimens have surfaces over the years. Presently, about 12 examples of this variety are known to exist.

"The rarity of this distinctive variety makes it a highly prized variety in the Bust Dime series. This experience has helped to keep me interested in die varieties. It has also made me more keenly aware of the thrill that can be experienced when you discover a variety that has escaped detection for almost 150 years."