1829 Half Dime Rare Die Variety V-1, LM-18, R.5, AU50 PCGS Glorious Patina. Key pickup points: Obverse: digit 1 in date doubled at top; ball of 9 centered over space between dentils; left serif of 2 points to center of dentil; die crack through I, front curl, face down to drapery; die cracks from rim to star 4, and connecting inner points of stars 3 and 4. Reverse: MERI touch at bases; two stripes in each vertical line of the shield; last S in STATES noticeably higher than E; TA close; F filled in between middle serif and right base.
There are 18 different die pairings known for the 1829 date. The LM-18 is considered to be rare according to the current literature at R.5, along with several other die marriages. Only the LM-1 through LM-5 and LM-13 can be considered fairly common. The LM-8 is extremely rare (R.7), and the LM-12 is very rare (R.6).
This example shows considerable luster and extremely appealing color under a strong light, along with a few scattered small nicks and ticks. This attractive piece is liable to be among the nicest survivors of the LM-18 marriage.