Hobbies & Games

Half Cent - Classic Head (1809-1836)

Specifications, Details and General Information

By James Bucki, About.com Guide


Obverse	Reverse
Click on the images above to view a larger photo Image Courtesy of: Heritage Auction Galleries, Ha.com

Background and History

For the Classic Head half cent, the first year of production in 1809 saw the largest mintage for the entire series with a little over one million pieces. While the reverse of the coin remained relatively the same from the previous Draped Bust issue (the fraction at the bottom of the wreath was eliminated), the obverse was totally redesigned and engraved by John Reich. Reich created a new image of Miss Liberty with her curly hair fastened with the headband displaying the word "LIBERTY". A number of proof coins were produced during the series but the Mint did not keep accurate records of how many were actually minted for collectors.

Coin Values and Prices:

Classic Head (1809-1836) Half Cent Values

Classic Head (1809-1836) Half Cent Coin Prices

Detailed Specifications

Issuing Government	United States of America
Denomination	$0.005 (Half Cent)
Coinage Type	Classic Head
Mintage Dates	1809-1836
Production Facilities	Philadelphia
Mint Mark Location	No mint marks were used in this series.
Composition	100% Copper
Weight	5.443 grams
Weight Tolerance (+/-)	n.a.
Actual Gold Weight (AGW)	0.0000 Troy Ounces
Actual Silver Weight (ASW)	0.0000 Troy Ounces
Actual Platinum Weight (APW)	0.0000 Troy Ounces
Specific Gravity	8.920
Diameter	23.50 mm
Thickness	2.00 mm
Edge Type	Plain
Obverse Description	Miss Liberty facing left, hair in curls, close to head, and tied with band inscribed LIBERTY. Seven stars are to herleft and six to the right. The date is at bottom.
Obverse Designer	John Reich
Reverse Description	Wreath tied at the bottom with a bow, HALF CENT in the center, with UNITED STATES OF AMERICA around the border.
Reverse Designer	John Reich
KM# (Krause-Mishler Catalog No.)	41
Notes

Production Years, Mints and Types

The Clasic Head half cent was produced as shown in the table below. This table shows the years, strike type, mint facility where it was made, the mint mark used and a description of any type differences in coins minted for that year.

Year	Mint	Type
1809	Philadelphia
1810	Philadelphia
1811	Philadelphia
1825	Philadelphia
1826	Philadelphia
1828	Philadelphia	12 Stars
1828	Philadelphia	13 Stars
1829	Philadelphia
1831	Philadelphia
1831 Proof	Philadelphia
1832	Philadelphia
1832 Proof	Philadelphia
1833	Philadelphia
1833 Proof	Philadelphia
1834	Philadelphia
1834 Proof	Philadelphia
1835	Philadelphia
1835 Proof	Philadelphia
1836 Proof	Philadelphia

Errors and Varieties

The following are popular errors and varieties that Clasic Head half cent collectors look for. These coins usually carry a premium and are valued above a common coin. This is not an all inclusive list of every minor die variety and error.

Year	Mint	Mint Mark	Error/Variety	Notes/Description
1809	Philadelphia		9 over 6	Numeral 9 was repunched over an inverted 9.
1809	Philadelphia		Circle Inside 0	Large 0 punched over small 0

Mintage Figures

The following table lists mint production numbers for the number of Clasic Head half cents minted at each facility. Where possible, production numbers by strike type are noted.

Year	Mint	Mintage	Notes
1809	Philadelphia	1,154,572
1810	Philadelphia	215,000
1811	Philadelphia	63,140	Counterfiets exist that were struck outside the US Mint using discarded dies from the mint. Most counterfeits were mismatched with the reverse dies.
1825	Philadelphia	63,000
1826	Philadelphia	234,000
1828	Philadelphia	606,000
1829	Philadelphia	487,000
1831	Philadelphia	2,200	Originally struck in both proof and business strikes, and the proofs were restruck for collectors at a later date.
1832	Philadelphia	154,000	Exact mintage figures were originally misplaced, these are taken from a later mint report.
1833	Philadelphia	120,000	Exact mintage figures were originally misplaced, these are taken from a later mint report.
1834	Philadelphia	141,000	Exact mintage figures were originally misplaced, these are taken from a later mint report.
1835	Philadelphia	398,000	Exact mintage figures were originally misplaced, these are taken from a later mint report.
1836 Proof	Philadelphia	0	Originally struck in proof only, restruck for collectors at a later date.

Note: Proof coins are known to have been struck for this series in various years, but the U.S. Mint did not keep records of how many (if at all) proof coins were produced.

Suggested Books on Drapped Bust Half Cent

Walter Breen's Encyclopedia of United States Half Cents, 1793-1857; Walter Breen; Publisher: American Institute of Numismatic Research; First Printing edition (1983)
American Half Cents: the "Little Half Sisters"; Roger S Cohen; Publisher: Wigglesworth & Ghatt Co. (1982)
The Half Cent Die State Book 1793-1857; Ronald P. Manley, J.R. Grellman Jr.; Publisher: pub. By author; 1ST edition (1998)
Walter Breen's Complete Encyclopedia of U.S. and Colonial Coins; Walter Breen; Publisher: Doubleday; 1 edition (May 1, 1988); ISBN-13: 978-0385142076
The Cherrypickers' Guide to Rare Die Varieties, 5th Edition, Volume 1; Fivaz, Bill and J.T. Stanton; Publisher: Whitman Publishing, Atlanta (2009); ISBN-13: 978-0794822859