Log in or Sign up
Coin Talk
Home
Forums
>
Coin Forums
>
Coin Chat
>
The underrated US Half Cent...
>
Reply to Thread
Message:
<p>[QUOTE="ewomack, post: 7649769, member: 15588"]Does no one like half cents? I ask this only because, given their relatively tiny mintages and pretty obvious rarity, good examples don't seem particularly difficult to find. The Red Book has said that "all half cents are scarce" for years, but does anybody care? It doesn't seem to really impact their value immensely.</p><p><br /></p><p>I have begun reading Bill Eckberg's fantastic book <i>The Half Cent, 1793-1857: The Story of America's Greatest Little Coin</i> and have found myself far more interested in the half cents that I already have around. None of the examples shown below broke the bank (depending on one's budget, of course), but when I looked at the mintages and the number of estimated survivors from Eckberg's book, I became stunned that these little things with the fractured denomination have not caught on more. Maybe they have but with a relatively small group of collectors? </p><p><br /></p><p>Whatever the case, I'm starting to become slightly obsessed with them, though I highly doubt that I will ever shell out the many dollars required to obtain a decent 18th century example. Eckberg's book elucidates a lot and provides updates to the older, but still useful, Breen book and the even older Cohen book. Half cents, similar to the "makeup stamps" from a number of years ago, were created mostly to make change because the monetary system at the time sometimes ended up creating a 1/2 cent difference. They had the purchasing power of approximately a quarter today. The mint apparently found them annoying to make and only some 8 million total were minted through their entire run, many of which went into melting pots after 1857. Some of the most common half cents remain rarer than many far more expensive key dates of other series. But, does it matter? They seem to be a bargain, but their prices have remained fairly stable, and generally affordable, over time.</p><p><br /></p><p>I have a small and modest type set, but without any 18th century examples. A single example from 1800 - 1802 (the "Draped Bust with hand engraved reverse") will complete a 19th century type set. We'll see where fate leads, I guess.</p><p><br /></p><p><font size="6"><b>Draped Bust</b></font></p><p>[ATTACH=full]1315290[/ATTACH] </p><p>[ATTACH=full]1315288[/ATTACH]</p><p>1806 C-1 (reverse G of 1804)</p><p>NGC VF30 BN</p><p>Mintage: 356,000</p><p>Estimated Survivors: 5000+</p><p><br /></p><p><font size="6"><b>Classic Head</b></font></p><p>[ATTACH=full]1315291[/ATTACH] [ATTACH=full]1315292[/ATTACH] </p><p>1828 C-1 13 star (Reverse B of 1826) - I finally re-photographed this one</p><p>NGC AU 53 BN</p><p>Mintage: 606,000</p><p>Estimated Survivors: 4,300</p><p><i>The two almost perpendicular lines on the obverse are reflections from slab scratches</i></p><p><br /></p><p><font size="6"><b>Braided Hair </b></font></p><p><b>[ATTACH=full]1315295[/ATTACH]</b></p><p><b>[ATTACH=full]1315296[/ATTACH]</b></p><p>1851 C-1</p><p>NGC AU 58 BN</p><p>Mintage: 147,672</p><p>Estimated Survivors: 5,600</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]1315297[/ATTACH] </p><p>[ATTACH=full]1315298[/ATTACH] </p><p>1854 C-1</p><p>NGC AU 55 BN</p><p>Mintage: 55,358</p><p>Estimated Survivors: 2,600[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>
[QUOTE="ewomack, post: 7649769, member: 15588"]Does no one like half cents? I ask this only because, given their relatively tiny mintages and pretty obvious rarity, good examples don't seem particularly difficult to find. The Red Book has said that "all half cents are scarce" for years, but does anybody care? It doesn't seem to really impact their value immensely. I have begun reading Bill Eckberg's fantastic book [I]The Half Cent, 1793-1857: The Story of America's Greatest Little Coin[/I] and have found myself far more interested in the half cents that I already have around. None of the examples shown below broke the bank (depending on one's budget, of course), but when I looked at the mintages and the number of estimated survivors from Eckberg's book, I became stunned that these little things with the fractured denomination have not caught on more. Maybe they have but with a relatively small group of collectors? Whatever the case, I'm starting to become slightly obsessed with them, though I highly doubt that I will ever shell out the many dollars required to obtain a decent 18th century example. Eckberg's book elucidates a lot and provides updates to the older, but still useful, Breen book and the even older Cohen book. Half cents, similar to the "makeup stamps" from a number of years ago, were created mostly to make change because the monetary system at the time sometimes ended up creating a 1/2 cent difference. They had the purchasing power of approximately a quarter today. The mint apparently found them annoying to make and only some 8 million total were minted through their entire run, many of which went into melting pots after 1857. Some of the most common half cents remain rarer than many far more expensive key dates of other series. But, does it matter? They seem to be a bargain, but their prices have remained fairly stable, and generally affordable, over time. I have a small and modest type set, but without any 18th century examples. A single example from 1800 - 1802 (the "Draped Bust with hand engraved reverse") will complete a 19th century type set. We'll see where fate leads, I guess. [SIZE=6][B]Draped Bust[/B][/SIZE] [ATTACH=full]1315290[/ATTACH] [ATTACH=full]1315288[/ATTACH] 1806 C-1 (reverse G of 1804) NGC VF30 BN Mintage: 356,000 Estimated Survivors: 5000+ [SIZE=6][B]Classic Head[/B][/SIZE] [ATTACH=full]1315291[/ATTACH] [ATTACH=full]1315292[/ATTACH] 1828 C-1 13 star (Reverse B of 1826) - I finally re-photographed this one NGC AU 53 BN Mintage: 606,000 Estimated Survivors: 4,300 [I]The two almost perpendicular lines on the obverse are reflections from slab scratches[/I] [SIZE=6][B]Braided Hair [/B][/SIZE] [B][ATTACH=full]1315295[/ATTACH] [ATTACH=full]1315296[/ATTACH][/B] 1851 C-1 NGC AU 58 BN Mintage: 147,672 Estimated Survivors: 5,600 [ATTACH=full]1315297[/ATTACH] [ATTACH=full]1315298[/ATTACH] 1854 C-1 NGC AU 55 BN Mintage: 55,358 Estimated Survivors: 2,600[/QUOTE]
Your name or email address:
Do you already have an account?
No, create an account now.
Yes, my password is:
Forgot your password?
Stay logged in
Coin Talk
Home
Forums
>
Coin Forums
>
Coin Chat
>
The underrated US Half Cent...
>
Home
Home
Quick Links
Search Forums
Recent Activity
Recent Posts
Forums
Forums
Quick Links
Search Forums
Recent Posts
Competitions
Competitions
Quick Links
Competition Index
Rules, Terms & Conditions
Gallery
Gallery
Quick Links
Search Media
New Media
Showcase
Showcase
Quick Links
Search Items
Most Active Members
New Items
Directory
Directory
Quick Links
Directory Home
New Listings
Members
Members
Quick Links
Notable Members
Current Visitors
Recent Activity
New Profile Posts
Sponsors
Menu
Search
Search titles only
Posted by Member:
Separate names with a comma.
Newer Than:
Search this thread only
Search this forum only
Display results as threads
Useful Searches
Recent Posts
More...