Bill Jones' Type Set Excluding Modern Issues
1/2c LIBERTY CAP, HEAD RIGHT (1794-97)

Owner Comments:

Nearly all type collectors combine the Liberty Cap Bust Right Half Cents (1794-7) under one type group, but in reality there were several type coins within this group. The 1794 half cent, shown left, was designed by chief mint engraver Robert Scott, and the 1795 half cent, shown right, was designed by John Smith Gardner. Clearly the two coins are quite different and could be designated as separate type coins, but rarity and budget considerations have prompted most collectors to opt for a single piece to cover the era and the type. In addition to these two designs other 1794 half cents display a different interpretation of Ms. Liberty, and in 1796 the official weight of the half cent was reduced from 104 to 84 grains. The 84 grain half cents were too thin to have edge lettering.

Despite the best efforts of the early mint personnel, the half cent was never a popular coin, and over time efforts to maintain the quality of these coins declined. Yet, during this period, high grade examples can be quite attractive as shown by each of these pieces. NGC graded the 1794 half cent as an MS-61, brown. PCGS graded the 1795 half cent as an AU-58.