Liberty Cap Left Half Cents 1793

About This Series

Holding the distinction of being the smallest denomination authorized by the Mint Act of 1792, the Liberty Cap Left Half Cent of 1793 was struck in a single year before the design was reoriented. Adam Eckfeldt prepared the original design concept, and Joseph Wright engraved the dies featuring Liberty facing left with a Phrygian cap on a liberty pole — a symbol of emancipation drawn from ancient Roman practice. Approximately 35,334 pieces were struck at the Philadelphia Mint, making this a scarce issue even by early American copper standards. The reverse displays a wreath encircling HALF CENT with the fraction 1/200 below, reflecting the coin's value as one two-hundredth of a dollar. Weighing 104 grains of pure copper, the half cent was intended to facilitate small transactions in an economy where even minor purchases required precise change. The leftward-facing orientation was abandoned after 1793 in favor of a rightward-facing Liberty Cap design, making this single-year type one of the most historically significant issues in the entire half cent series.

Series Information