1828 Curl 2, No Knob

The 1828 Capped Bust Half Dollar with Curl Base 2 and No Knob is the companion variety to the Knob Top issue, sharing the curved lower terminal but lacking the rounded protrusion at the upper end of the digit 2. This punch style was used across a portion of the year's working dies and falls within the overall mintage of 3,075,200 half dollars reported for 1828. The absence of the knob produces a 2 whose upper terminal ends in a simpler, smoother arc, giving the numeral a less complicated profile than the Knob Top variant. Both varieties were produced concurrently from different date logotypes used by mint engravers, and Al Overton's research separated the two into distinct attribution groups based on careful study of surviving coins.

The technical specifications for the Curl 2 No Knob 1828 half match those of all other Capped Bust halves of the period, including 89.24 percent silver alloy, 13.48 grams in weight, 32.5 millimeters in diameter, and the lettered edge reading FIFTY CENTS OR HALF A DOLLAR applied through a Castaing machine before striking. Authentication of this specific variety requires examining the digit 2 under magnification to confirm the curved foot of the Curl Base style is present while verifying the upper terminal ends cleanly without the looped knob seen on the related variety. The combination of both diagnostics together must be matched against Overton plates, since either feature considered alone is insufficient for proper attribution. Edge inscription quality and weight verification also factor into authentication, particularly for higher-grade examples where premium prices warrant additional scrutiny.

Professional Coin Grading Service (PCGS) and Numismatic Guaranty Company (NGC) population data, combined with auction results from Heritage Auctions, show the Curl 2 No Knob varieties appear in the market with reasonable frequency across most circulated grades. Mint state survivors are scarcer but not unobtainable for patient collectors. Variety specialists working through the 1828 Overton numbers find this group essential for a complete representation of the year, alongside the Knob Top and Square Base 2 issues. For broader background on the design, the operations of the early Philadelphia Mint, and the place of these halves in American silver coinage, read the Capped Bust Half Dollar series history.