Bust & Flowing Hair Half-Dimes
(1792, 1794 - 1795)
The 1792 Half Disme is widely recognized as one of the first silver coins struck under the authority of the United States. Produced shortly after passage of the Coinage Act of 1792, these pieces were likely struck in a temporary Philadelphia facility before the official Mint building was completed.
The obverse features Liberty with flowing hair, while the reverse displays a small eagle surrounded by a wreath. The coin was struck in an early silver standard of approximately 89.24% silver and 10.76% copper, consistent with the specifications later formalized for U.S. silver coinage.
With a small mintage of only 1,500 and immense historical importance, the 1792 Half Disme is considered a foundational issue in American numismatics and remains highly sought after in all grades today.
The Flowing Hair Half Dime was the first regularly issued five-cent silver coin struck for circulation by the United States Mint, produced from 1794 through 1795. It followed the experimental 1792 Half Disme and marked the true beginning of the denomination’s ongoing production.
The obverse features Liberty with long, flowing hair, while the reverse displays a small eagle encircled by a wreath. These coins were struck in the early federal silver standard of approximately 89.24% silver and 10.76% copper.
Mintages were modest, and many surviving examples show extensive circulation. As one of the earliest circulating silver types in U.S. history, the Flowing Hair Half Dime remains an important and highly collectible early federal issue.
Business Strikes
1794 | 7,756
1795 | 78,660
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