Classic Head Half Cents 1809-1836

About This Series

John Reich's Classic Head design on the half cent features Liberty wearing a fillet inscribed LIBERTY, creating an elegant portrait adapted from his concurrent designs for the cent and higher denominations. The series is notable for significant production gaps: no half cents were struck from 1812 to 1824, reflecting fluctuating demand during the War of 1812 and its aftermath. Later dates from 1831 to 1836 were struck almost exclusively as proofs, making these late Classic Head half cents effectively proof-only issues. The 1811 is the series' key rarity among business strikes, with a mintage of just 63,140 pieces and genuinely scarce survivors in any grade. Struck in copper at 23.5mm and 5.44 grams, Classic Head half cents bridge the Draped Bust and Braided Hair series. The Cohen reference provides the die variety framework, and the mix of affordable business strikes (1809, 1825-1829) and rare proof-only dates (1831-1836) creates a collecting challenge combining accessibility with aspirational targets. Reich's design brought a clean neoclassical aesthetic to America's smallest denomination, and these diminutive coins hold distinctive charm for early American copper collectors.

Series Information