1796 Draped Bust Half Dime
Base
About This Coin
The 1796 Draped Bust Half Dime is a United States dime from the Draped Bust Half Dimes 1796-1805 series — the first year of the series. In 1796, coins were struck at the Philadelphia Mint with a combined mintage of 20,460. This ranks 3rd of 7 years by total mintage, below the series median of 27,760. The obverse features Liberty facing right with draped bust and ribbon-bound hair, designed after a Gilbert Stuart portrait and the reverse displays a small, naturalistic eagle perched on a palm branch within a wreath (1796-1797) or a heraldic eagle with shield on breast, olive branch and arrows in talons, with a banner reading E PLURIBUS UNUM (1800-1805). First year of the Draped Bust Half Dime with small eagle reverse. The LIKERTY error (misspelled LIBERTY) is a notable variety. Struck in 89.2% silver, 10.8% copper, weighing 1.35 grams, 16.5 mm in diameter, with a reeded edge. Produced 6 years before the celebrated 1802 key date. Across its variants, estimated values range from $3.4K to $50K depending on mint mark, grade, and strike type. A notable auction result reached $411K in MS67+ grade at Stack's Bowers. Designed by Robert Scot.
Value Estimates
Values as of May 2026 — range across all strike types, reflecting typical grades (G-4 through MS-63). Coins in lower or exceptional grades may fall outside this range.
