#1 Liberty Cap Half Cent Buyer Las Vegas & Henderson

History of Liberty Cap Half Cent

US Coins were first produced in 1792 when the US government established the first mint at Philadelphia. Since that time many different varieties and denominations of United States coins have been produced by the U.S. Mint. The United States half cent is the smallest denomination ever minted by the United States. It was first produced in 1793 as authorized by the Coinage Act of 1792 on April 2, 1972.

The half cent has the lowest value that the United States government has ever minted for circulation. It was introduced with the Liberty Cap Half Cent type in 1793. The coins were struck in two different variations with Liberty facing left or right. The Liberty cap facing right is also divided into two types the small head, and the large head. The final coins of the series were dated 1797, although coins continued to be struck until 1800 when the next design was introduced.

Liberty cap half cent, facing left was the first variation of US half cents. It was struck in 1793. The obverse (front) of the Liberty Cap Half Cent shows Liberty, with flowing hair, facing to the left and a pole with a Phrygian cap is behind her. The Phrygian cap is a symbol of freedom and liberty was first used on this design. Lady liberty had become the prominent feature for the following coin designs. The designer of the first variation with Liberty facing left has not been confirmed but many suggested that it was Adam Eckfeldt, based on the fact that he designed the 1792 half disme, which features a head of Liberty with similar features.

On the following year, the second variation of US half cents was introduced. The Liberty cap half cent, facing right was struck in 1794. It replaced the Liberty cap half cent, facing left. Though it still features the face of Lady Liberty, there were still minor but obvious differences in details of the face and hair. The head is a little bit larger and the hair sits nicely on Liberty’s back. The  new obverse was designed by Robert Scot.

Another design was introduced on 1795, and it’s the Liberty cap with a smaller head. Assistant Engraver John Smith Gardner designed the Liberty cap half cent, small head. He lowered the relief and reduced the size of Liberty’s head. This design replaced the previous designs made and was struck until 1797.

What are Liberty Cap Half Cents

The Liberty Cap half cent was the first half cent coin or one of the first coins ever produced by the United States Mint. All half cent coins were made with 100% copper and minted at the Philadelphia Mint. The Liberty Cap Half Cent came in two different variations: the Head Left or facing left was issued in 1793 only; and the Head Right or facing right was issued from 1794 to 1797.

  • Liberty Cap Half Cent, facing left – was only struck in 1793 and featured the head of Liberty wearing a cap.
  • Liberty Cap Half Cent, facing right, large head – was struck in 1794 only
  • Liberty Cap Half Cent, facing right, small head – was struck in 1795 to 1797

Variations of Liberty Cap Half Cent

These are the different variations of Liberty Cap Half Cent:

Liberty cap half cent, facing left, was only struck in 1793 and featured the head of Liberty with her Phrygian cap hoisted on a pole. Lady Liberty is depicted in stunning detail, showing her bow-tied hair being blown in the wind. On the top of the image is an inscription which reads “Liberty”, and beneath it is the year it was minted or the numbers 1793.

Liberty cap half cent, facing right, was struck in 1794 to 1797. It has two types, the Large Head (was struck in 1794 only), and the Small Head (was struck in 1795 to 1797). The image of Liberty on the large head has a high relief that it makes the face and neck a little bit larger. While the small head replaced the previous design by redesigning Liberty, making the face and neck smaller.  Liberty’s hair streams to the back and down the neck to both coin designs. The word LIBERTY is centered at the top and the date is at the bottom. The reverse displays UNITED STATES OF AMERICA near the edges. Two laurel branches with individual berries encircles the word HALF CENT, and these two laurel branches are tied with a ribbon. And beneath it is the fraction 1/200 which is the denomination of the half cents.

How We Grade Liberty Cap Half Cents

These are the different grades of Liberty Cap Half Cents:

  • Uncirculated: These are the coins that never made it out onto the open market. The normally have a “new-minted coin” look or same as how it looked like when it was first minted 200 years ago.
  • Extremely Fine: These coins look the same as uncirculated but it has few minor scratches and chips. These imperfections are noticeable but nothing so large that it will detract from the appearance of the coin.
  • Fine: These coins were likely been circulated for over a long period of time. They have scratches and chips but the letters and numbers on the surface image can still be seen by the naked eye.
  • Good: These are the coins that have been heavily circulated and damaged. The letters and numbers worn away due to deep scratching and smoothing.

We prefer coins that have been graded and certified as authentic by Professional Coin Grading Service (PCGS) or Numismatic Guaranty Corporation (NGC), though we will still give a fair deal for these coins.

Price Quote for Liberty Cap Half Cent

We have different estimated price ranges for the 1793 Liberty cap half cent coins, and 1794-1797 Liberty cap half cent coins.

For the 1793 Liberty cap half cents, the price range for Good graded coins can reach up to $3,750; for the Fine graded coins, it can reach up to $9,500; while for the Extremely Fine graded coins, it can reach up to $27,000; and for the Uncirculated graded coins, it can reach up to $35,000.

For the 1794 to 1797 Liberty cap half cents, the price ranges for Good graded coins can reach up to $575; for the Fine graded coins, the prices can reach up to $2,250; while the prices for Extremely Fine graded coins can range up to $13,500; and the Uncirculated graded coins reaches up to $16,000.

Uncirculated coins price higher than the other grades because of it has never been used or circulated and it looks brand new with no imperfections.

The 1793 Liberty cap half cent coins prices higher than those in 1794 to 1797 Liberty cap half cent coins because of its rarity. The 1793 Liberty cap half cent is the rarest half cent that has ever been minted by the US Mint in Philadelphia.

As you can see, we buy Liberty cap half cents of 1793 to 1797. We will buy your coins no matter the grade and the condition. So, if you have Liberty cap half cent coins, sell it to us and we will give you a good deal for your coins.

References:

  • https://www.jmbullion.com/coin-info/cents/half-cents/1793-half-cent/
  • https://www.jmbullion.com/coin-info/cents/half-cents/1797-half-cent/
  • https://www.ngccoin.com/coin-explorer/liberty-cap-half-cents-1793-1797-pscid-7
  • https://www.usacoinbook.com/coins/5658/half-cents/liberty-cap/1797-P/all-varieties/”