Half Dime
The Half dime has been around since the 1700's and finally retired in 1873. There were four variations over 79 years. The Half dime (5 cents) was the U.S. currency of a nickel. Sometimes a full day's wage! Imagine that a Half dime was worth more than $100 of todays' money!
Minted in fine silver, the famous half dime is smaller and weighs less than a nickel. The Half Dime and the Nickel were the same denomination, yet a whole different coin! The Half dime played an integral role in the early life of America, and is of great historic and numismatic importance!
Minted in fine silver, the famous half dime is smaller and weighs less than a nickel. The Half Dime and the Nickel were the same denomination, yet a whole different coin! The Half dime played an integral role in the early life of America, and is of great historic and numismatic importance!
Articles on Half Dimes
Flowing Hair (1794 - 1795)
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The Flowing hair design was designed by Robert Scot and this same design was also used for the Half Dollar and Dollar Silver coins minted during the same period. With the obverse showing a Liberty portrait similar to that appearing on the 1794 Half Cent and Cent, but without the Liberty Cap and Pole. Leave the pole for the Cardi B Anthony coin!
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Draped Bust (1796 - 1805)
Draped Bust Small Eagle Reverse (1796 - 1797)
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There were two versions of the Draped Bust. The first version was introduced in 1796 which shows an image of the Draped Bust sketched by artist Gilbert Stuart, with the dies engraved by Robert Scot and John Eckstein. The primary 1796 variety bears fifteen stars representing the number of states in the U.S. at the time. In 1797 fifteen and sixteen star varieties were produced, 16 because 1797 was the year Tennessee became a state! They also created a 13 star variation because they realized they couldn't add a star every time a state joined the union... so..... they stuck with 13 representing the original 13 states.
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Draped Bust Heraldic Eagle Reverse (1800 - 1805)
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After a few years of no production of the Half Dime, mintage of the Half Dime resumed in 1800. The obverse remained essentially the same as the prior version, but the reverse was revised substantially. The eagle on the reverse evolved into a heraldic style with outstretched wings. This reverse design first appeared on the gold quarter and half eagles and then dimes and dollars in the 1790's. Mintage for this series never surpassed 40,000, with none produced in 1804. No denomination or mintmark appears on the coins; all were minted in Philadelphia.
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Capped Bust (1829 - 1837)
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After 24 years of no mintage the Half Dime production finally resumed in 1829 based on the new design by Chief Engraver William Kneass, who is believed to have adapted an earlier John Reich design. All coins were again minted in Philadelphia and displayed no mint mark. The highest circulation in the series was in 1835 with 2.76 Million were struck, and the low of 871,000 in 1837. Both Capped Bust and Seated Liberty Half Dimes were minted in 1837.
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Liberty Seated (1837 - 1873)
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The Seated Half Dime was the last silver half dimes produced. The design features Liberty seated on a rock and holding a shield which was first conceived in 1835 used first on the silver dollar pattern of 1836. This style of the Half dime had more than one mint. Philadelphia, New Orleans, and San Francisco. There were no known San Francisco Minted Half Dimes until 1978 when a unique 1870-S Seated Liberty Half Dime became known!
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