Half Cents
United States of America
Half cents were minted intermittently from 1793-1857. This denomination was an important part of the U.S. monetary system when working wages were $1 per 10-hour day. The final half-cent design type is known as the Braided Hair (minted 1840-1857). In 1996, the Eliasberg Specimen 1796 Liberty Cap, Head Facing Right, No Pole Half Cent graded MS-65 RB PL was sold at auction by Bowers and Merena (B&M) and Stack's for $506,000; a record for the highest price ever paid at auction for a United States copper coin.
. . . Defunct denominations can be real attention-getters, and half cents definitely fit into that category. And a number of lower-mintage dates (under 65,000) are available for modest prices. That's a combination most hobbyists have a hard time ignoring . . . -- Al Doyle, COINage (July 2007)
