1830

Philadelphia delivered 1,240,000 half dimes in 1830, essentially matching the 1829 output. The Mint had settled into a steady production rhythm for the denomination, making roughly a million coins per year through the early 1830s. Andrew Jackson was president, and his administration was in the early stages of the Bank War that would dominate national politics for the next several years. The half dime, worth one-twentieth of a dollar, was the coin of the smallest retail transactions in an economy that still ran largely on cash.

The design continues unchanged from 1829. Seventeen die varieties exist for the year, cataloged by specialists under the Logan-McCloskey reference system. None of the 1830 varieties carry dramatic premiums over the standard date, and the year is a reasonable entry point for collectors who want a common Capped Bust half dime.

Surviving examples are available in circulated grades without difficulty. At the very top of the market, an MS68 from the Bob R. Simpson Collection / Tom Bender Collection (the sole MS68 certified by PCGS) sold for $78,000 at Heritage in August 2022, a record for the date. Gem examples are much more affordable, but the Simpson-Bender coin illustrates what the ceiling of Capped Bust half dime collecting looks like at the absolute finest grades.