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Specifications: Bronze (95% copper, 5% zinc and tin), 40 Grains, 17.5 mm.

The Half Centavo was designed by Melicio Figueroa. The obverse design shows a young Filipino male seated next to an anvil holding a hammer in his right hand, his left arm raised, and in the background to his left is a billowing volcano. The reverse design depicts an eagle with spread wings perched atop an American shield.

Business strikes of the Half Centavo coin were struck at the Philadelphia Mint in 1903 (12,084,000) and 1904 (5,654,000). The Half Centavo coin was poorly accepted by the public and no further business strikes of this denomination were made after 1904. For lack of use over 7,500,000 Half Centavos were withdrawn from circulation. Most of these were sent back to the United States where they were melted and then re-coined into One Centavo pieces in 1908. That leaves a little less than 60% of the origional total mintage still available to collectors today.

A limited number of Proof Half Centavos were produced at the Philadelphia mint from 1903 through 1906 and again in 1908. The mintage figures for proof Half Centavos is as follows:1903 (2,558), 1904 (1,355), 1905 (471), 1906 (500), and 1908 (500). The 1905, 1906, and 1908 Half Centavos were PROOF ONLY ISSUES.

The 1908 Half Centavo is a PROOF ONLY ISSUE with a mintage of 500 coins. Full red gem quality proof Half Centavos are extremely rare and elusive and this little Gem has Full Red Brilliance. The NGC population for the 1908 Half Centavo in Proof 65 Red is six coins with only three specimens graded higher. The combined NGC/PCGS population for the 1908 Half Centavo in PF65 Red is 14 coins with 10 specimens graded higher. The Estimated Number of Surviving Specimens of this coin in PF65 Red or higher is 30 giving it a Grade Rarity of 8.9 - EXTREMELY RARE.