Half cent (United States coin)
| Half Cent (United States) |
| |
| Value: | 0.005 U.S. dollar |
| Mass: | 6.739 g (1793-1795)5.443 g (1795-1857) |
| Diameter: | 23.5 mm |
| Thickness: | ??? mm |
| Edge: | lettered (1793,1797)plain (1794-1857)
gripped (1797) |
| Composition: | 100% Cu |
|
The
half cent coin was produced in the
United States from
1793-
1857. The half-cent piece was made of 100% copper. It was very slightly smaller than a modern
U.S. quarter, with a diameter of 23.5 mm (0.93 inch). It is the lowest face value coin ever produced by the United States.
There are several different types of half cents
*
Liberty Cap, Left (designed/engraved by Adam Eckfeldt) - issued 1793
*
Liberty Cap, Right (large head designed by
Robert Scot, small head designed by Scot-John Gardner, engraved by Robert Scot) - issued 1794 to 1797
*
Draped Bust (obverse designed by Gilbert Stuart and Robert Scot, reverse designed by Scot-John Gardner, engraved by Robert Scot) - issued 1800 to 1808
*
Classic Head (designed/engraved by John Reich) - issued 1809 to 1835
*
Coronet (obverse designed by Robert Scot and
Christian Gobrecht, reverse designed by John Reich and Christian Gobrecht, engraved by Christian Gobrecht) - issued 1849 to 1857
There are no mint marks on any of the coins (all minted at the Philadelphia Mint) and the edges are plain on most half cents. On the 1793 coin and a variety of the 1797 coin it was lettered
TWO HUNDRED FOR A DOLLAR and another 1797 variety had a reeded, or milled, edge.
Mintage figures are the following:
Liberty Cap, Left*1793 - 35,334
Liberty Cap, Right*1794 - 81,600
*1795 - 139,690
*1796 - 1,390
*1797 - 127,840
Draped Bust*1800 - 202,908
*1802 - 20,266
*1803 - 92,000
*1804 - 1,055,312
*1805 - 814,464
*1806 - 356,000
*1807 - 476,000
*1808 - 400,000
Classic Head*1809 - 1,154,572
*1810 - 215,000
*1811 - 63,140
*1825 - 63,000
*1826 - 234,000
*1828 - 606,000
*1829 - 487,000
*1831 - 2,200
*1832 - 51,000
*1833 - 103,000
*1834 - 141,000
*1835 - 398,000
*1836 -
proof only, restrikes were made*1837 -
No half cents were struck by the United States government, however due to the need for small change half cent tokens were produced by private businessmen. Coronet1840 through 1849 were proof only issues. There were restrikes made.*1849 - 39,864
*1850 - 39,812
*1851 - 147,672
1852 - proof only. Restrikes were made.*1853 - 129,694
*1854 - 55,358
*1855 - 56,500
*1856 - 40,430
*1857 - 35,180
The Half Cent Die State Book 1793-1857 by Ronald P. Manley, Ph.D., 1998.
American Half Cents - The "Little Half Sisters" (Second Edition) by Roger S. Cohen, Jr., 1982.
Walter Breen's Encyclopedia of United States Half Cents 1793-1857 by
Walter Breen, 1983.
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Half Cent information by year and type. Histories, photos, mintages, mints, metal contents, edge designs, designers, and more.
*
Half Cent Pictures*
US Proof - Information For The Coin Collector
