Are you intrigued to know more about the history, features, and value of the US half dimes? Well, you’re at the right place!
Half dimes, in early years, were minted in a very low mintage number of which even lesser survives today. So, if you own a half dime, it is humanly to be curious regarding its worth. After all, even the lowest circulated grades of these coins sell at least for $100.
Read on to find out features, value, and factors affecting the value of the US half dimes that were minted from 1792 to 1873.
What Are Half Dimes?
Half dimes are the valuable US 5 Cents silver coins that were minted from 1792 to 1873. Half dimes came with five major redesigns during the time, thus, giving rise to:
- Bust half dimes (1792),
- Flowing Hair half dimes (1794-1795),
- Draped Bust half dime (1796-1805),
- Capped Bust half dime (1829-1837), and
- Seated Liberty half dime(1837-1873)
Features of Half Dimes
Design:
- Bust half dimes
1792 Bust half dimes feature Liberty facing left on the obverse and an eagle on the reverse side with ‘HALF DISME’ written below. The speculated designer of 1792 Half Disme is Robert Birch.
- Flowing Hair half dimes
Next comes the Flowing Hair half dime featuring a flowing hair Liberty facing right. The reverse side is adorned with a small eagle on a wreath.
- Draped Bust half dime
In Draped Bust half dime, there’s a ribbon on the flowing hair of Liberty, and a drape is seen covering her neckline. On the reverse, 1796-1979 features a small eagle, whereas the remaining years have a Heraldic Eagle.
- Capped Bust half dime
Likewise, in Capped Bust style, Liberty’s hair is covered with a cap secured with a ‘LIBERTY’ band. The coin’s reverse side depicts an eagle with a shield on its breast.
- Seated Liberty half dime
Finally, Seated Liberty half dimes feature the Liberty sitting on a rock with a shield on the one hand and a liberty cap on a pole on the other hand. This half-dime design has been subjected to many minor changes throughout the years.
In 1838-1840, the Liberty’s Drapery was removed. The 1838-1859 design features stars on the Liberty’s sides. Likewise, in 1853-1855, arrows were added on the date. And finally, in the 1860-1873 design, the wreath on the reverse was restyled.
Coin Specification:
Half dimes were much smaller than the dimes are were made up of 89.2% silver and 10.8% copper. The diameter of these coins ranges from 15.90 mm to 17.50 mm, with 1792 Bust half dimes being the largest and Capped Bust half dimes being the smallest.
Likewise, the mass range of the US silver half dimes is around 1.34-1.35 gm. The edges are reeded, except for the 1792 Bust half dimes on which the edges are diagonally reeded.
Mint Mark:
San Fransisco Seated Liberty half dimes have a mint mark ‘S’ right below the bow on the reverse side of the coin.
On the other hand, New Orleans minted Seated Liberty half dimes feature a mint mark ‘O’ above the bow on the reverse. Note that 1872-S have two varieties based on the mint marks; one above the bow and one below the bow.
Reasons Why Half Dimes were Minted
As soon as the US coinage system began, 5 cents silver coins were designed and minted by the new US mint. While the US mint recognized 1793 Chain cents as the first business strike coins minted, the 1792 ‘Half Dismes’, are lobbied by some numismatists as the first such coins to be minted.
In the 1860s, with the new 3 cents and 5 cents mintage on copper-nickel planchets being approved, the production of silver half dimes was stopped in 1873.
What Factors Influence The Value of Half Dimes?
Errors, varieties, and rarities:
All these three criteria play a major role while valuing a coin. For instance, 1853 No Arrows was auctioned for $27,025 in 2016, whereas the 1853 Arrows variety was auctioned for $4,800 in 2019. Likewise, the lone 1970-S coin was auctioned for $661,250 in 2004 at Bowers & Merena.
Grades:
Another important factor in determining the worth of your half dime is grade. Uncirculated Mint State grades range from MS60 to MS70, and below 60 are circulated. The higher the grade, the more premium and expensive your coin is.
For instance, the 1850 half dime is valued at $17,500 by PCGS, whereas the Extremely Fine (XF-40) will likely cost you below $100.
Proofs:
Proofs (PR) coins display the highest level of craftsmanship and features than any circulated and uncirculated coins. Consequently, these coins are the rarest and demand the most worth. Proof coins are likely struck in 1829 and onwards, and those minted survive in minimal numbers today.
Value of Half Dimes
While the face value of half dimes is 5 Cents, these coins, given their age, sell for hundreds and even thousands.
We’ve curated a price guide for all the half dimes for VF-20, AU-50, and MS63 grades in the table below. Note that this table was prepared on 20th April 2022 and is simply an estimation for reference purposes.
PCGS price guides, latest auctioned prices, and the value of these half dimes on several coin buying/selling online portals are consulted in preparing this table. For higher MS grades and Proof (PR) coins, expect the prices to rise significantly.
Bust Half Dime (1792) |
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| Very Fine (VF-20) | About Uncirculated (AU-50) | MS63 | |
| 1792 | $70,000 | $132,000 | $250,000 |
Flowing Hair Half Dime (1794-1795) |
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| Very Fine (VF-20) | About Uncirculated (AU-50) | MS63 | |
| 1794 | $4000 | $12,500 | $36,000 |
| 1795 | $2,000 | $7,000 | $12,000 |
Draped Bust Half Dime (1796-1805) |
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| Very Fine (VF-20) | About Uncirculated (AU-50) | MS63 | |
| 1796 LIKERTY | $4,000 | $10,000 | $35,000 |
| 1797 15 Stars | $4,000 | $8,000 | $30,000 |
| 1797 16 Stars | $4,500 | $10,000 | $31,500 |
| 1797 13 Stars | $3,000 | $20,000 | $90,000 |
| 1800 | $3,500 | $6,500 | $22,500 |
| 1800 LIBEKTY | $3,500 | $8,000 | $23,500 |
| 1801 | $3,500 | $8,000 | $40,000 |
| 1802 | N/A | $375,000 | N/A |
| 1803 (Large 8) | $3,500 | $10,000 | $20,000 |
| 1803 (Small 8) | $4,500 | N/A | $130,000 |
| 1805 | $4,500 | $22,500 | N/A |
Capped Bust Half Dime (1829-1837) |
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| Very Fine (VF-20) | About Uncirculated (AU-50) | MS63 | |
| 1829 | $130 | $260 | $1,000 |
| 1830 | $130 | $250 | $950 |
| 1831 | $100 | $225 | $1,10 |
| 1832 | $100 | $300 | $1,000 |
| 1833 | $100 | $300 | $900 |
| 1834 | $100 | $300 | $825 |
| 1835 (Large Date, Small 5C.) | N/A | $275 | $1,025 |
| 1835 (Large Date, Small 5C.) | N/A | $225 | $1,000 |
| 1835 (Small Date, Large 5C.) | $100 | $250 | $1,300 |
| 1835 (Small Date, Small 5C.) | $125 | $200 | $900 |
| 1836 (Large 5C.) | $125 | $250 | $1,000 |
| 1836 (Small 5C.) | $100 | $250 | $1,000 |
| 1837 (Large 5C.) | $200 | $400 | $1,100 |
| 1837 (Small 5C.) | N/A | $700 | $3,500 |
Seated Liberty Half Dime (1837-1873) |
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| Very Fine (VF-20) | About Uncirculated (AU-50) | MS63 | |
| 1837 (Large Date) | $200 | $400 | $1,000 |
| 1837 (Small Date) | $200 | $400 | $1,000 |
| 1838-O | $1,250 | $4,000 | $12,000 |
| 1838 (Large Stars) | $85 | $225 | $750 |
| 1838 (Small Stars) | N/A | $275 | $1,200 |
| 1839 | N/A | $225 | $700 |
| 1839-O | $100 | $500 | $2,500 |
| 1840 (No Drapery) | N/A | $250 | $700 |
| 1840-O (No Drapery) | $300 | $725 | $7,500 |
| 1840 (Drapery) | $225 | $350 | $1,200 |
| 1840-O | N/A | $2,000 | $30,000 |
| 1841 | N/A | $135 | $400 |
| 1841-O | $200 | $500 | $3,250 |
| 1842 | N/A | $125 | $625 |
| 1842-O | $400 | $1,000 | $4,000 |
| 1843 | N/A | $150 | $600 |
| 1844 | N/A | $250 | $700 |
| 1844-O | $600 | $3000 | $12,500 |
| 1845 | N/A | $150 | $500 |
| 1846 | $2,500 | $7,500 | $40,000 |
| 1847 | N/A | $200 | $400 |
| 1848 (Medium Date) | N/A | $225 | $600 |
| 1848 (Large Date) | N/A | N/A | $1,800 |
| 1848-O | N/A | $300 | $1,200 |
| 1849 | N/A | $250 | $850 |
| 1849/6 | N/A | N/A | $1,500 |
| 1849-O | $350 | $1,200 | $4,000 |
| 1850 | N/A | $125 | $350 |
| 1850-O | $100 | $325 | $2000 |
| 1851 | $65 | $100 | $400 |
| 1851-O | N/A | $225 | $1,100 |
| 1852 | N/A | $125 | $350 |
| 1852-O | $200 | $600 | $3,500 |
| 1853 (No Arrows) | N/A | $525 | $2,000 |
| 1853-O (No Arrows) | $1,600 | $4,000 | $20,000 |
| 1853 (Arrows) | $60 | $150 | $450 |
| 1853-O (Arrows) | N/A | $200 | $1,500 |
| 1854 (Arrows) | N/A | $150 | $400 |
| 1854-O (Arrows) | N/A | $225 | $1,000 |
| 1855 (Arrows) | N/A | $150 | $475 |
| 1855-O (Arrows) | N/A | $300 | $1,400 |
| 1856 | N/A | $150 | $325 |
| 1856-O | N/A | $300 | $1,000 |
| 1857 | $50 | $150 | $375 |
| 1857-O | N/A | $200 | $575 |
| 1858 | N/A | $175 | $325 |
| 1858 (Over Inverted Date) | $225 | N/A | $2,250 |
| 1858-O | N/A | $150 | $500 |
| 1859 | N/A | $150 | $400 |
| 1859-O | N/A | $225 | $650 |
| 1860 | N/A | $125 | $425 |
| 1860-O | N/A | $150 | $550 |
| 1861 | $40 | $125 | $600 |
| 1862 | $50 | $125 | $400 |
| 1863 | N/A | $650 | $1,200 |
| 1863-S | N/A | $525 | $1,500 |
| 1864 | $1,000 | N/A | $2,000 |
| 1864-S | $300 | $700 | $2,250 |
| 1865 | $1,000 | $1,200 | $1,500 |
| 1865-S | $225 | $700 | $2,500 |
| 1866 | N/A | $1,200 | $1,500 |
| 1866-S | N/A | $325 | $1,275 |
| 1867 | N/A | $1,000 | $1,500 |
| 1867-S | N/A | $400 | $1,400 |
| 1868 | $275 | $400 | $1,000 |
| 1868-S | N/A | $150 | $600 |
| 1869 | N/A | N/A | $525 |
| 1869-S | N/A | $125 | $1,300 |
| 1870 | $45 | $125 | $375 |
| 1870-S | MS63 – $661,250 | ||
| 1871 | N/A | $150 | $400 |
| 1871-S | N/A | $175 | $600 |
| 1872 | N/A | $125 | $325 |
| 1872-S (Mintmark Below Bow) | N/A | $150 | $425 |
| 1872-S (Mintmark Above Bow) | N/A | $125 | $375 |
| 1873 | N/A | $125 | $425 |
| 1873-S | N/A | $150 | $400 |
Summary
We hope we were able to answer all your half-dimes-related queries. Have you recently bought or sold a half dime? Do share with us the year and the remaining details, if possible.
Also, if you need help grading your half dime or determining its worth, feel free to comment below. We’re more than happy to help!
