Half Cents
The half cent was first minted in 1793 and survived until 1857, despite its unpopularity
among many people of the time. The fact is that merchandise pricing often involved the kind
of fractioning that demanded a monetary medium of this magnitude. But citizens often complained
that it did little for them other than take up space in their pockets and consequently, it is remarkable
that the government continued to make these coins for 64 years.
There are four major types of the half cent and I own three of these, although it is still possible to purchase an
example of the first of these, the Liberty Cap, which was made from 1793 to 1797, for a few hundred dollars. But
since this type is not represented in the 'U. S. Types' folder which I use to display these coins, I have not as yet
invested in that first example of the coin.
It should be noted that there were a number of other coins minted in the U.S. over the years but those not represented in
my 'U. S. Types' folder, and therefor not displayed here were minor issues which were either not officially sanctioned by the
federal government, or were made in such small quantities that they are quite rare today and are therefor too valuable to be
included in such a set. Examples of these are the colonial coins and tokens, the Fugio cents, the Birch Cent of 1792, and the
above mentioned liberty cap half cent. A possible exception is the Fugio cent, some of which can still be had for under $200.