Capped Bust Dime (1809-1837)
Those of you familiar with the design of the half-dollars that started circulating in 1807 will probably be somewhat aware of what the capped bust dime looks like. First minted in 1809, the front of the coin shows Lady Liberty with a cap on her head, long locks flowing down all the way to her shoulders. The cap is held in place by a band that has “LIBERTY” inscribed upon it. The bust also features the beginnings of a gown that appears to 
have some sort of brooch attached to it at the shoulder. All told there are 13 stars – 7 on the left and 6 on the right – located above the bust with the mint date sitting clearly at the bottom.
The reverse side of the capped bust dime features a large eagle holding eagles while sitting on a branch. The phrase “UNITED STATES OF AMERICA” sits atop the eagle, while “E PLURIBUS UNUM” can be found stamped in a smaller type below that and above the eagle. At the bottom on the reverse side of the coin is the 10C stamp, which represents the value of the piece. The diameter of this piece comes in at 18.8 mm, which is a little larger than the 17.9 mm closed collar piece that made an appearance in 1828.
The rarest of these coins are the ones that were minted between 1809 and 1827, as production of these pieces was often sporadic at best during that period. There were even a few years where none of the capped bust dimes were minted at all. The Small Dentil Type of the capped bust dime arrived in 1828, and besides the aforementioned difference in diameter, it also featured smaller stars on the front, as well as some design changes that are subtle at best.
The new coins are the ones that are most commonly found, usually in Good to Very Fine condition. If you are possession of a capped bust dime that has very clearly defined detailing, you are onto a winner, as those are particularly difficult to find. There are also several years where overdates can be found, including 1811/09, 1824/2, 1827/5, and 1830/29. One of the most desirable of these coins are the ones that were minted in 1822, when roughly 100,000 coins were made for circulation. Collectors are always on the lookout for that particular year.
Some other capped bust dime aberrations to look out for are those from the 1814 and 1820 years, with some of the coins made then having “STATESOFAMERICA” on the face as a single word. You may also come across some coins that have different sized years or lettering, both of which are considered to be very desirable for the purposes of collecting. Uncirculated pieces tend to be among the toughest to find, but they are out there, although you are likely going to need to pay quite a bit of money to get your hands on one. These are a must have for serious collectors, though.