Values
A half cent’s market depends on which head is on the coin and how much copper is left in the hair. This page is a series reference, not a price list.
The mintage chart has no G, VF, or MS-63 column filled in. The NGC US Coin Price Guide extract on file, retrieved 2026-08-21, does not include half cent rows. A blank is a blank. Do not turn a Wikipedia count into a price.
If you are trying to sell one, start with how to sell a coin collection and the Ohio coin dealer directory. Copper stories do not grade themselves.
Key Dates
This page will not invent a key-date list, and it will not bold a row. Collectors ask about 1796 because the printed count is small. That is a row. It is not a price, and it is not a bold until a publisher’s key list is the source.
A worn 1809 or 1828 can still teach the Classic Head. The date people want is not the only coin worth looking at.
Errors
These are types and edges, not a catalog of die varieties. This page will not invent a count for a named die.
Lettered and gripped edges. Some 1790s coins read TWO HUNDRED FOR A DOLLAR, and one 1797 variety has a gripped edge. That is the planchet, not a smooth-edge error. Most of the series is plain.
1836, and 1840 through 1848, and 1852. Wikipedia calls these proof-only, with restrikes. They are not circulation rows and they are not errors.
1837 tokens. Private businessmen struck half-cent tokens that year. The United States Mint did not. A token is not a missing-mint-mark error.
Compare the coin to the NGC Coin Explorer half cent pages. We do not host their plates.
Varieties
Five heads share this page. The edge style belongs to the early years. This page does not list every die marriage inside a head.
- 1793 Liberty Cap, head leftThe first year faces left. Henry Voigt’s design. It is not the head-right coin that follows.
- 1794–1797 Liberty Cap, head rightRobert Scot’s head faces right. Lettered or gripped edges belong to these 1790s coins, not to a later Classic Head.
- 1800–1808 Draped BustA draped bust, Gilbert Stuart and Robert Scot. 1801 is not in the circulation list this page uses.
- 1809–1835 Classic HeadJohn Reich’s Classic Head. The long gap in the dates is the chart this page already keeps, not a missing type.
- Braided HairChristian Gobrecht’s braided portrait, with HALF CENT inside a wreath. Circulation strikes on this chart begin in 1849.
Names follow PCGS CoinFacts and NGC, the same publishers this site already cites. This is a name list, not a price list and not a count.
Mintage
Philadelphia struck every half cent. There is no mint mark.
| Year | Mint | Mintage | G | VF | MS-63 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1793 | P | 35,334 Liberty Cap, head left. Later Liberty Cap dates face right. | — | — | — |
| 1794 | P | 81,600 Liberty Cap, head right. | — | — | — |
| 1795 | P | 139,690 Liberty Cap, head right. | — | — | — |
| 1796 | P | 1,390 Liberty Cap, head right. | — | — | — |
| 1797 | P | 127,840 Liberty Cap, head right. | — | — | — |
| 1800 | P | 202,908 Draped Bust. 1801 is not in the list. | — | — | — |
| 1802 | P | 20,266 Draped Bust. 1801 is not in the list. | — | — | — |
| 1803 | P | 92,000 Draped Bust. 1801 is not in the list. | — | — | — |
| 1804 | P | 1,055,312 Draped Bust. 1801 is not in the list. | — | — | — |
| 1805 | P | 814,464 Draped Bust. 1801 is not in the list. | — | — | — |
| 1806 | P | 356,000 Draped Bust. 1801 is not in the list. | — | — | — |
| 1807 | P | 476,000 Draped Bust. 1801 is not in the list. | — | — | — |
| 1808 | P | 400,000 Draped Bust. 1801 is not in the list. | — | — | — |
| 1809 | P | 1,154,572 Classic Head. 1812 through 1824 are not in the list. Proof-only 1836 stays off. | — | — | — |
| 1810 | P | 215,000 Classic Head. 1812 through 1824 are not in the list. Proof-only 1836 stays off. | — | — | — |
| 1811 | P | 63,140 Classic Head. 1812 through 1824 are not in the list. Proof-only 1836 stays off. | — | — | — |
| 1825 | P | 63,000 Classic Head. 1812 through 1824 are not in the list. Proof-only 1836 stays off. | — | — | — |
| 1826 | P | 234,000 Classic Head. 1812 through 1824 are not in the list. Proof-only 1836 stays off. | — | — | — |
| 1828 | P | 606,000 Classic Head. 1812 through 1824 are not in the list. Proof-only 1836 stays off. | — | — | — |
| 1829 | P | 487,000 Classic Head. 1812 through 1824 are not in the list. Proof-only 1836 stays off. | — | — | — |
| 1831 | P | 2,200 Classic Head. 1812 through 1824 are not in the list. Proof-only 1836 stays off. | — | — | — |
| 1832 | P | 51,000 Classic Head. 1812 through 1824 are not in the list. Proof-only 1836 stays off. | — | — | — |
| 1833 | P | 103,000 Classic Head. 1812 through 1824 are not in the list. Proof-only 1836 stays off. | — | — | — |
| 1834 | P | 141,000 Classic Head. 1812 through 1824 are not in the list. Proof-only 1836 stays off. | — | — | — |
| 1835 | P | 398,000 Classic Head. 1812 through 1824 are not in the list. Proof-only 1836 stays off. | — | — | — |
| 1849 | P | 39,864 Braided Hair. 1840 through 1848 and 1852 are proof-only and stay off. | — | — | — |
| 1850 | P | 39,812 Braided Hair. 1840 through 1848 and 1852 are proof-only and stay off. | — | — | — |
| 1851 | P | 147,672 Braided Hair. 1840 through 1848 and 1852 are proof-only and stay off. | — | — | — |
| 1853 | P | 129,694 Braided Hair. 1840 through 1848 and 1852 are proof-only and stay off. | — | — | — |
| 1854 | P | 55,358 Braided Hair. 1840 through 1848 and 1852 are proof-only and stay off. | — | — | — |
| 1855 | P | 56,500 Braided Hair. 1840 through 1848 and 1852 are proof-only and stay off. | — | — | — |
| 1856 | P | 40,430 Braided Hair. 1840 through 1848 and 1852 are proof-only and stay off. | — | — | — |
| 1857 | P | 35,180 Braided Hair. 1840 through 1848 and 1852 are proof-only and stay off. | — | — | — |
Mintage: the note under this table names the page that printed each count. These figures are not an NGC Coin Explorer extract and they are not the 1974 Mint pamphlet.
Collector-standard year/mint presentation follows A Guide Book of United States Coins (the Red Book). These cells are Mint manufacture figures, not a Red Book net or melt.
Values: NGC US Coin Price Guide, retrieved 2026-08-21. Guide values, not offers. Not melt. NGC IDs link to the same publisher’s price-guide listing.
Key date names: PCGS CoinFacts (2026-08-21). Bold rows are only dates that publisher named.
Circulation figures are the Wikipedia half cent mintage list, which cites Yeoman, retrieved 2026-10-06. Proof-only years stay off, including 1836, 1840 through 1848, and 1852. 1801 is not in that list. 1812 through 1824 are not in that list. 1837 private tokens are not Mint coins and are not rows.
The figures are the circulation lines on the Wikipedia half cent page, which cites Yeoman. Proofs stay off. 1801 is not in that list. 1812 through 1824 are not in that list. 1836 and 1852 are proof-only. 1840 through 1848 are proof-only, and 1849 is the first Braided Hair circulation date on the list. The grade columns are empty because this site has no NGC guide extract for these rows.
Read the head before you argue about a gap year.
Specifications
These are mint specs, not what a dealer pays. Wear can take a little weight off. We will not invent a tolerance. The coin changed planchet more than once. One thickness for the whole run would be a guess.
| Specification | Figure |
|---|---|
| Diameter | 23.5 mm on the cited Numista pages |
| Thickness | Not printed |
| Weight | 5.44 g Classic Head (N#30704); 6.74 g Liberty Cap, head right (N#55103) |
| Composition | Copper |
| Edge | Plain on the Classic Head page. Some 1790s coins are lettered or gripped |
| Designer | Henry Voigt in 1793; Robert Scot; Gilbert Stuart; Christian Gobrecht on Braided Hair |
Numista Classic Head N#30704 prints copper, weight 5.44 g, and diameter 23.5 mm, and does not print a thickness. Numista Liberty Cap, head right, N#55103 prints weight 6.74 g and diameter 23.5 mm and does not print a thickness. Those two planchets are not 1793 and they are not Braided Hair. The thickness row stays Not printed.
Grading
A half-cent wears first in the hair and on the wreath. The head changes five times. Grade the portrait in front of you, not a later type.
The edge is plain on most dates. A lettered or gripped edge belongs to the 1790s. It is not wear.
Key Diagnostic Areas
| Area | What to examine | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Hair and cap | The hair over the forehead and the cap, when the type has one. | Those high points go flat while the rim can still look complete. |
| Wreath | The leaves and the denomination inside them. | The reverse goes smooth before the date does. A blank wreath is wear. |
| Edge | Plain, lettered, or gripped. | Plain is the usual design. Lettered and gripped are early planchets, not a smooth-edge error. |
| Date | The digits, and which way the head faces. | 1793 faces left. 1794 through 1797 face right. A worn date is still a worn coin. |
Circulated & Mint State
These cards describe this coin, not a second copy of the P-1 through MS-70 chart. The shared numbers live on the glossary.
See graded photos. The photos that show what VF looks like live at PCGS. We do not host their plates. NGC Coin Explorer is another look if you want a second set.
What each named grade looks like on this design.
Poor
Poor
A disk you can still call a half-cent if you already know the type.
- The hair and the wreath are gone.
- The date may be a shadow. Do not scrape it.
- Shine does not make this a better coin.
AG
About Good
You might read a digit. The high points on this half-cent are already slick.
- The hair and the wreath are worn to a blank patch.
- If you cannot read the date without hoping, stay here.
- A 1851 is still this grade if it is this worn.
Good
Good
The date is readable. The design is still mostly an outline.
- The hair and the wreath are flat. The type is an outline, not a portrait.
- The rim should be full enough to hold the legend.
- This is a worn coin, not a details story.
VG
Very Good
The date is clear. A little life returns away from the high points.
- Some leftover detail sits away from the hair and the wreath.
- The high points are still tired.
- Do not clean the date to “see it better.”
Fine
Fine
You can follow the design. The high points are outlined, not sharp.
- The hair and the wreath are outlined and flat — no real sharpness yet.
- The rest of the coin can look busier than the grade.
- The date should be clear. The mint mark should be too, if there is one.
VF
Very Fine
The type is doing real work. The hair and the wreath still decide.
- Leftover detail sits on the hair and the wreath. The centers are still the worn spot.
- Marks do not raise the grade.
- A regular 1851 is still this grade if it is this worn.
EF
Extremely Fine
Most of the coin looks sharp. The high points tell on it.
- Light wear on the hair and the wreath.
- The rest of the coin can look better than the grade. Trust the high points.
- The date should be sharp.
AU
About Uncirculated
Almost no wear — and “almost” lives on the same high points.
- A trace of rub on the hair and the wreath.
- Luster may still sit in the fields. Rub on those high points is still rub.
- A bright coin with a slick high point is still slick.
Basal MS
Mint State
No wear. The fight is marks and luster, not how white the coin looks.
- No rub on the hair and the wreath.
- Marks and luster decide how this mint-state coin lives.
- A bright chewed-up coin is still chewed-up.
Choice
Choice Mint State
Still no wear. Cleaner fields than basal mint state.
- Same no-wear rule on the hair and the wreath.
- Fewer marks in the fields. Luster is more intact.
- White is not a grade.
Gem
Gem Mint State
A clean half-cent for this type. Still mint state, still not a story.
- No wear on the hair and the wreath.
- Marks and luster, not a romance about a date or a white field.
- A slab is an opinion in plastic. The glossary has the numbers.
1836, 1840 through 1848, and 1852 are proof-only. This page does not invent a PR price grid. The proof numbers live on the glossary.
Copper color
BN, RB, and RD describe remaining original color on uncirculated copper. They are not extra numeric grades. The names also live on the glossary.
| Code | Name | Remaining original red |
|---|---|---|
| RD | Red | 95% or more of the original red remains |
| RB | Red-Brown | 5% to 95% of the original red remains |
| BN | Brown | Less than 5% of the original red remains |
Overview
A half cent is the copper coin worth half of one cent, struck from 1793 through 1857. It is the smallest denomination the United States Mint ever issued for circulation. Five designs sit on this page: Liberty Cap facing left, Liberty Cap facing right, Draped Bust, Classic Head, and Braided Hair. The next copper coin of the same era is the large cent. The coin that replaced both is the Flying Eagle cent.
People like them because the series is old and the coin is odd. They are also easy to over-clean. A brown half cent that has been rubbed pink is damaged copper, not a discovery.
This page is a series article, not a shop listing.
History
The Coinage Act of 1792 authorized the denomination. The Mint struck it at Philadelphia only. The first year faces left. From 1794 the head faces right. Draped Bust runs 1800 through 1808, with 1801 absent from the circulation list this page uses. Classic Head begins in 1809 and skips a long stretch of dates. Braided Hair circulation strikes on this chart begin in 1849. The Coinage Act of 1857 ended the half cent and the large cent together and authorized the small cent.
This page will not invent a shop list, and it will not turn a proof-only year into a business strike.
Design
Obverse: 1793, Liberty’s cap on a pole, head left, Henry Voigt. 1794–1797, head right, Robert Scot. 1800–1808, draped bust, Gilbert Stuart and Robert Scot. 1809–1835, Classic Head, Robert Scot or John Reich. 1849–1857 on this chart, Braided Hair, Christian Gobrecht. Reverse: a wreath. On the Braided Hair coins, HALF CENT sits inside it.
There is no mint mark. Look at the hair, the cap, and the wreath leaves. Those go flat. Then look at the edge. Plain is usual. Lettered or gripped belongs to the 1790s, not to a later Classic Head.
People Also Ask
What years are half cents?
The series runs 1793 through 1857, all at Philadelphia. The chart is the circulation list on the Wikipedia half cent page. Missing years, proof-only years, and the 1837 private tokens are not rows.
How much is a half cent worth?
It depends on the type, the date, and how much of the portrait is left. This page does not print a price column. The NGC guide extract on file does not include these rows.
Why are there gaps in the dates?
1801 is not in the Wikipedia circulation list. 1812 through 1824 are not either. 1836, 1840 through 1848, and 1852 are described as proof-only. Those stay off.
Is an 1837 half cent a Mint coin?
No. Wikipedia says no half cents were struck by the United States government in 1837. Private tokens filled the need for small change. They are not rows on this chart.
Collector Considerations
Buy the head you can see. A sharp 1851 Braided Hair is a type. A dark 1793 you have not compared to a photograph is a story.
The photograph on this page is an 1806 Draped Bust from the National Numismatic Collection. It is not the 1793, and it is not a Braided Hair coin. Do not grade every half cent as if it were that plate.
If you inherited one in a paper envelope, leave it there. Copper shows a thumb. The coin dealer directory starts in Ohio. This site does not invent shop names to fill a paragraph.
Raw coins are fine. So are slabs. What is not fine is a coin that has been polished until the hair looks newly cut.
If you collect by type, one honest Classic Head and one Braided Hair teach more than a gap-year argument. For the bigger copper coin of the same years, read the large cent.
A Final Word
Half cents reward people who look at the head and the edge before they look up a date. Read the hair. Leave the polish under the sink.
When you want the cent that was struck beside it, the large cent is already here.