Draped Bust Half Cent
1800 to 1808

	The draped bust half cent was designed by Robert Scot and first minted in 1800. This was the first coin made in very large quantities, with a total of more than three million of these coins being struck over the nine years that the design remained mostly unchanged. However, there are a number of die variations, especially in the 1804 issue. The coin was 23.5 mm in diameter (just under an inch) and was made of pure copper.
This coin has obviously been cleaned and would be worth much more if it were still dark brown like the one below. But at least it does reveal the appearance that it had when in circulation. It is stored in the D case.		This is the reverse of the coin at left. It does not have the stems left and right of the bow.
This is the only other Draped Bust half cent that I own. It cost me $196.50 and is worth about $235 now. This particular die example is called a Crosslet 4 with stems.		This is the reverse side of the coin. I was surprised to find that more than a million of these coins were minted in that year.

In 1804 Lewis and Clark set out from St. Louis to explore the northwest territory. The first locomotive ran a short distance for the first time, Napoleon Bonaparte is declared emperor of France, Thomas Jefferson is re-elected president of the U.S., and vice president Aaron Burr kills Alexander Hamilton in a pistol duel.