Liberty Cap Right Half Cents 1794-1797

About This Series

Robert Scot's revised half cent design turned Liberty's portrait to face right, accompanied by the Phrygian liberty cap on a pole — the same symbol of emancipation that appeared on the contemporaneous large cent series. Struck from 1794 to 1797, this short series encompasses numerous die varieties cataloged in the Cohen and Manley references, reflecting the handcrafted production methods of the early Mint where each die pair was individually engraved. The 1796 is the series' celebrated rarity, existing in two varieties — With Pole and Without Pole — both profoundly scarce, with the With Pole type estimated at approximately 15 survivors and the Without Pole at roughly similar numbers. These are among the most valuable half cents in American numismatics. Struck in copper at 23.5mm diameter, the half cent's weight was reduced from 6.74 grams to 5.44 grams by the Act of January 14, 1794, creating a size differential between early and later strikes. Half cents filled an important commercial role in the early republic, where a half cent could buy a newspaper or small loaf of bread. The entire Liberty Cap Right series is prized by early American copper specialists who value these coins for their historical significance as products of the nation's first decade of coinage and for the die variety scholarship that makes each piece a unique artifact.

Series Information