I can’t recall if I’ve ever posted this. I don’t think I have so here it is. It’s a 1803 Half Cent with the 2nd reverse. Half Cents are the lowest face value of all U.S. coins and they are all considered scarce. They were authorized on April 2, 1792. Just 9 1/2 months later the weight was changed before producing a single coin. A Presidential proclamation for conformity with the Act of March 3, 1795 one again lowered the weight to 84 grains. All Half Cents were produced and issued by the Philadelphia Mint. The Act of February 21, 1857 discontinued them from being minted. Various intermissions occurred during its lifespan. Only proofs were produced from 1836 to 1848 and they were minted in small quantities. From the first Half Cent produced a number of varieties were minted. There is a noticeable lapse for most collectors. A number of dates are so pricy collectors can’t afford them. I purchased this from an estate almost a year and a half ago. It is a Draped Bust, which was minted from 1800-1808. 92,000 is the total mintage for an 1803. Mine is the standard version and an AG-3 is valued at 45. This is more in the Fine range. There is a die crack on the reverse. It’s difficult to capture on my cell, in part due to the darker color of the coin. It runs from the first T in STATES down to the L in HALF and then straight over to the AM in AMERICA. The right side of the crack is fainter than the left but it is there in hand, plain as day.
And they were finally made legal tender in 1965. Yours is a C-3 a rarity 2 variety. Here is an image of a C-3 that lets you see what the crack looks like better.
