The half cent is the smallest denomination of United States coin ever minted. It was first minted in 1793 and last minted in 1857. It was minted in five different appearances.
History
First authorized by the Coinage Act of 1792 on April 2, 1792,[1] 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).[2] Coinage was discontinued by the Coinage Act of February 21, 1857. They were all produced at the Philadelphia Mint.
Design Varieties
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.
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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
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| Half Cent (United States) | |
 
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| Value: | 0.005 U.S. dollar |
| Mass: | 6.739 g (1793–1795)
5.443 g (1795–1857) |
| Diameter: | 22 mm (1793) - 23.5 mm |
| Thickness: | 2 mm |
| Edge: | lettered (1793,1797)
plain (1794–1857) gripped (1797) |
| Composition: | 100% Cu |
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External links
- Half Cent information by year and type. Histories, photos, mintages, mints, metal contents, edge designs, designers, and more.
- Half Cent Pictures
- This half cent (numismatics.org:1858.1.1) was the first coin donated to the American Numismatic Society
References
- Whitman The Official Guide Book 64th Edition 2011 page: #87
- Whitman The Official Guide Book 64th Edition 2011 pages: #87, #89, #90, and #92
- 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.
