1803 Draped Bust Half Dime. LM-1, V-6. Rarity-6. Small 8. VF-35 (PCGS).；Steel-gray toning overall with violet and rose iridescence accents on the high points and cobalt in the fields. Well produced, the strike is above average showing bold detail definition along with areas of strong dentilation at the rims. This is by far the rarest of the three known die varieties of the 1803 half dime, and it is also one of the rarest in the entire Draped Bust series of 1796 to 1805 (intermittently). LM-1 is easily distinguished from LM-2 and LM-3 due to the small size of the digit 8 in the date. The other two varieties share the same obverse with a large 8. The reverse of this variety is a workhorse die that also appears in the 1801 LM-1, 1801 LM-2, 1802 LM-1 and 1803-LM-2 marriages. The experts at <em>PCGS CoinFacts</em> account for only 25 examples of the 1803 Small 8 half dime in all grades, the vast majority of which are in low grades, and several of which are impaired. An important bidding opportunity for early half dime variety specialists.
