1809–1836 Half Cent Classic Liberty Head F

One Of The First-Ever U.S. Coins, The Half Cent

One of the great April Fool’s Day pranks of the last few years was one that had people believing the United States Mint would stop producing pennies in 2023. The well-crafted story was floated across social media by cashmoney, a blog site that claimed that on April 1, 2023, the U.S. Mint would stop production of the venerable denomination. And despite even slipping in a note at the bottom of the blog that stated the story was a prank, it still managed to fool an alarming number of impressionable people who didn’t bother to read the internet post from start to finish. Imagine the furor that would be created if the U.S. Mint DID stop striking its smallest denomination coin. Well, that’s exactly what happened in 1857 on the eve of the nation’s Civil War when the Mint stopped striking Half Cents.

The Smallest Denomination U.S. Coin Ever!

Copper coins were a mainstay for the economy of Colonial America where they were minted in both official and unofficial capacities. It’s no wonder that when the U.S. Mint was established to strike the nation’s coins that the first coins issued in 1793 were copper half cents. Not only was the copper half cent the first coin struck for circulation, it was—and still is—the smallest denomination U.S. coin ever! The Half Cent was introduced in 1793 as one of the original denominations of coins authorized by the Coinage Act of 1792. It was intended to provide a smaller denomination than the Cent, introduced the same year. The Half Cent underwent several design changes during its production: the Liberty Cap struck from 1793 to 1797, the Draped Bust struck from 1800 to 1808, the Classic Liberty Head struck from 1809-to 1836, and finally the Braided Hair from 1840 to 1857.

Classic Liberty Head Half Cent In Wonderful Fine Condition

What you have here is a Half Cent with a Classic Liberty Head design, struck in copper, dated between 1809 and 1836 in wonderful Fine (F) condition with only a little wear on the word LIBERTY and on the top of Miss Liberty’s hair. Designed by John Reich, the 2nd Chief Engraver at the U.S. Mint, the coin features a matronly bust of Liberty facing left. The curls of her hair are held back on her head by a band prominently inscribed with the word “LIBERTY.” The traditional 13 stars representing the original colonies (seven on the left and six on the right) encircle her. The coin’s reverse displays the denomination with a wreath around it and “UNITED STATES OF AMERICA” surrounding the wreath.

Today, ALL Half Cents are scarce in any condition, so don’t delay. Quantities are strictly limited, so act now! Oh, and for the record; The U.S. Mint has no plans at the present time to stop striking the penny!