1820 Curl Base 2, Small Date

The 1820 Curl Base 2 Small Date is one of the regular issue die marriages within a mintage of 751,122 half dollars produced at the Philadelphia Mint that year. Rather than carrying the overdate punch that marks the more famous 1820 varieties, this combination uses a fresh date with two visual cues that early-half-dollar specialists track closely: the Curl Base 2, where the lower terminal of the numeral 2 finishes in a rounded hook, and the Small Date logotype, in which the entire date occupies less vertical space than the alternate Large Date punches used the same year. The coexistence of small-date and large-date logotypes in 1820 reflects the Philadelphia Mint's working practice of replacing date punches as they wore or broke, often within a single production run.

Authentic examples carry the standard early-half-dollar specifications of 13.48 grams on an 89.24 percent silver planchet, 32.5 millimeters in diameter, and a lettered edge reading FIFTY CENTS OR HALF A DOLLAR applied before striking. Authentication begins with Overton plate matching: the collector first confirms the Small Date by comparing overall date length and digit height against published reference plates, then checks the lower curve of the 2 to verify the curl base rather than a square terminal. Star positions and die-state cracks narrow the attribution to a specific Overton number. Professional Coin Grading Service (PCGS) and Numismatic Guaranty Company (NGC) both note this variety on their certification labels, which helps newer collectors who are still learning to read the date punches on their own.

This combination is among the more available 1820 die marriages, which makes it a sensible starting point for collectors building a Capped Bust half dollar set by date and major variety rather than by full Overton matrix. Mid-circulated grades surface regularly at major auctions, and original surfaces remain attainable without the premiums attached to overdate pieces. For full design context, read our Capped Bust Half Dollar series history.