U.S. Half Cent Coin
The half cent coin, along with the large cent, was the first coin produced by the new Republic. They were authorized on April 2, 1792 when Congress passed The Coinage Act. This Act created the U.S. Mint and authorized construction of the Mint building in Philadelphia – the first federal building completed under the newly created Constitution.
The half cent is made of 100% copper and is sightly smaller than today’s quarter. Numismatics who assemble collections of the American half cent are very passionate about them and actively seek additions to their collections. Half Cents were minted irregularly between 1793 and 1857 when the half cent was discontinued. This coin was very popular with the general populace for day to day transactions being about equal to today’s dime in buying power.
Five different types of half cents were minted:
All half penny coins are considered scarce, and are becoming more and more popular with collectors. Prices for common dates and varieties are still reasonable in today’s market. The 1793 half cent is a scarce date. The rarest date in the Liberty Cap half cent is the 1796 with only 1390 coins minted.
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| Type | Liberty Cap, Head Facing Left |
| Designer | Undetermined: Probably Joseph Wright, Henry Voigt, or Adam Eckfeldt |
| Years Minted | 1793 only |
| Weight | 6.74 grams |
| Diameter | approx. 22mm |
| Edge | Lettered: TWO HUNDRED FOR A DOLLAR |
| Mintage | 35,334 |
The 1793 coin is a scarce date and was one of the very first coins issued by the United States.
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| Type | Liberty Cap, Head Facing Right |
| Designer |
1794 - Robert Scot 1795 - John Smith Gardner engraved by Robert Scot |
| Years Minted | 1794 - 1797 |
| Weight |
1794-1795 - 6.74 grams 1795 - 1797 - 5.44 grams |
| Diameter | approx. 23.5 mm |
| Edge |
1794 - Lettered: TWO HUNDRED FOR A DOLLAR 1795 -1797 - plain (some 1797 are either lettered or Gripped edge*) |
| Mintage |
1794 - 81, 600 1795 - 139,690 1796 - 1,390 1797 - 127, 840 |
The 1796 half penny is the most valuable date
* This is a series of indentions, or grip marks, around the circumference of the coin.
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| Type | Draped Bust Half Cent |
| Designer |
obverse designed by Gilbert Stuart and Robert Scot reverse designed by Scot-John Gardner engraved by Robert Scot |
| Years Minted | 1800 - 1808 |
| Weight |
5.44 grams |
| Diameter | approx. 23.5 mm |
| Edge | plain |
| Mintage |
1800 - 81, 600 1802 - 139,690 1803 - 1,390 1804 - 81, 600 1805 - 139,690 1806 - 1,390 1807 - 81, 600 1808 - 139,690 |
It is believed that all 1802-dated half cents were struck from spoiled large cents. This makes it the rarest date of this design type.
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| Type | Classic Head Half Cent |
| Designer | designed and engraved by John Reigh |
| Years Minted | 1809 - 1836 |
| Weight |
5.44 grams |
| Diameter | approx. 23.5 mm |
| Edge | plain |
| Mintage |
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 - (Proofs only) |
| No half penny coins were issued by the U.S. mint between 1837 and 1839, however a token coin was privately issued by businessmen, appeared in 1837 because small change was desperately needed. This token was the same weight and value as a half penny and looked very similar to United States mint issues of the half cent. |  |
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| Type | Coronet Head or Braided Hair Half Cent |
| Designer |
observe designed by Robert Scot and Christian Gobrecht reverse designed by John Reich and Christian Gobrecht engraved by Christian Gobrecht |
| Years Minted | 1840 - 1857 |
| Weight |
5.44 grams |
| Diameter | approx. 23 mm |
| Edge | plain |
| Mintage |
1840-1848 - Proofs Only 1849 - 39,864 1850 - 39,812 1851 - 147,672 1852 - (Proofs only) Restrikes were made 1853 - 129,694 1854 - 55,358 1855 - 56,500 1856 - 40,430 1857 - 35,180 |
There are not any mint marks on half cents. They were all made at the Philadelphia Mint as it was the only mint in the United States at the time. And since there was only one mint, there were no need for mint marks.
Consultation for Rare Coin Prices and Offers
Brett Bogus, the owner of Eagle Numismatics specializes in rare coins and bullion. After establishing Eagle Numismatics in 1989, Brett oversaw the Precious Metals Division at Blanchard & Co. where he helped shape the company’s investment strategy. Mr. Bogus has acted as a Registered Investment Advisor as well as a principle in a Commodities firm. You have heard him on national radio and television shows and major coin dealers buy directly from Eagle Numismatics. Brett offers personal consultation on rare coins and rare coin offers for investors and collectors.
