U.S. Half Cents; Designs, Dates, and Die Varieties

Instructor: Franklin Noel

Half cents have long inspired numismatic writers. One quaintly called them, the “Little Half Sisters.” Why were half cents struck for circulation only intermittently between 1793 and 1857? In which years were they struck? How many different design types were there? Who designed them? Are there multiple die varieties for each year?