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Half cent (United States coin)

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Half cent (United States coin)

The half cent is the smallest denomination of United States coin ever minted. It was first minted in 1792 and last minted in 1857. It was minted in five different appearances.

Contents

History

First authorized by the Coinage Act of 1792 on April 2, 1792, the coin was produced in the United States from 1793 to 1857. The half-cent piece was made of 100% copper and was valued at five milles, or one two-hundredth of a dollar. It was slightly smaller than a modern U.S. quarter with diameters 22 mm (1793), 23.5 mm (1794–1836) and 23 mm (1840–1857). Coinage was discontinued by the Coinage Act of February 21, 1857. They were all produced at the Philadelphia Mint.

At the time of their discontinuation, the half cent had more buying power than a dime in 2000. Based on the Consumer Price Index, the 2016 value is 14¢.

Design Varieties

There are several different types of half cents:

  • Liberty Cap, Left (designed/engraved by Henry Voigt) - 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 1836
  • Braided Hair (designed by Christian Gobrecht) - issued 1840 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 gripped, or milled, edge.

    Mintage Figures

    Liberty Cap, Left

  • 1793 - 35,334

    • Liberty Cap, Right

  • 1794 - 81,601
  • 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 (Shown at top right)

  • 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.

    • Braided Hair

  • 1840 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

    • References

    Half cent (United States coin) Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA