This coin and the two motifs to follow have a most curious quality. They do not designate the denomination or value anywhere on the coin. Today the 1795 coin is more common. Both, however, when found, are typically encountered in grades from Good to Fine to Very Fine. You may never find the uncirculated prize unless you have the privilege of observing one of the finer collections.

The obverse of the 1794-1795 half dime style portrays Miss Liberty with flowing hair, facing right, with LIBERTY above and the date 1795 below. Eight stars are behind her head and seven are in front. The reverse illustrates a delicate or "small" eagle perched on a cloud, within an open wreath, with UNITED STATES OF AMERICA surrounding. Denticles are around the border, as on all half dimes from this design forward

The obverse depicts Miss Liberty with flowing hair, a ribbon behind her head, with drapery covering her plunging neckline. LIBERTY is above and the date is below. 1796 half dimes have eight stars to the left and seven to the right on the obverse, while those dated 1797 come in three variations, with a total of 13, 15, or 16 stars. The reverse features an open wreath enclosing a small eagle perched on a cloud

Even during this period in history, silver hoarding was prevalent. Thus the need to dramatically increase the number of coins minted and decreases the official weight from 20.625 grains to 19.2. In 1853 the Liberty Seated design was modified by the addition of tiny arrowheads to the left and right of the date, to signify a decrease in the authorized weight. These arrows remained in place through 1855, after which they were discontinued.

The obverse depicts Liberty seated on a rock, holding in her left hand a liberty cap on a pole and with her right hand holding a shield. Stars are above, and the date, with an arrowhead on each side, is below. The reverse is the same as used earlier and consists of an open wreath enclosing HALF DIME with UNITED STATES OF AMERICA surrounding.

Of the total coins minted, the majority, 13,210,000, were struck in Philadelphia in 1853. The highest mintage for any earlier half dime date since the inception of the denomination was 2,760,000, or less than a quarter of this figure, back in 1835.

In a farewell bid to the Half Dime, 10,040 Proof coins were struck. 1873 marked the last date of mintage as the mint made way for the Nickel Five Cent Piece. In the half dime (and also the dime) series a modification to the design occurred in 1860. The Liberty Seated motif was retained as the central obverse design, but the peripheral stars were eliminated in favor of the inscription UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, which previously had appeared around the border of the reverse. The date remained below Liberty. The reverse wreath was restyled to a larger format without lettering at the border, enclosing the denomination expressed as HALF DIME.

Generally, coins in grades from Very Good to AU are easy to find in the common dates. Uncirculated pieces are harder to find, and superb Uncirculated half dimes are quite scarce.

Perhaps a note of surprise over the relatively few number of coins struck. This small number has caused all Half Dimes of this era to be scarce and found primarily in lower ranges of condition, from About Good to Very Good. Not yet referred to as the Nickel, half dimes of 1800-1805 continued the Draped Bust obverse used earlier in 1796-1797, except that the stars beginning in 1800 have been standardized to seven left and six right. The reverse is of the Heraldic Eagle style adopted from the Great Seal of the United States and used beginning in the preceding decade on certain other silver denominations. At the center is an eagle with a shield on its breast, holding in its beak a ribbon inscribed E PLURIBUS UNUM and grasping in its talon a bundle of arrows and an olive branch. Above the eagle is an arc of clouds under which is a group of stars. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA surrounds. No mark of denomination or value appears on the coin.

Fine specimens are not easy to locate, Very Fine pieces are still more elusive, and Extremely Fine coins are rare. Strictly Uncirculated pieces are extremely rare. Those that do come on. The market are apt to be dated 1800. Uncirculated specimens dated 1801, 1802, and 1803 (no pieces were coined in 1804), and 1805 are exceedingly rare or nonexistent. Nearly all known specimens exhibit a degree of light striking in one area or another. Such striking characteristics are to be expected, and a numismatist seeking a perfectly struck, extremely sharp example in a high grade is apt to never encounter such a coin!

No Half Dimes were minted during the period 1806-1828. Worthy of comment here, is the tremendous disparity between the number of 1829-1837 coins minted during this period versus the 124,270 minted from 1800-1805. Perhaps the spending of Half Dimes was now required to buy what used to cost a mere Cent.

The Capped Bust style was introduced in 1829. The design is quite similar to that used on the half dollar 1807-1836, by John Reich, and was modified from that source by William Kneass, Mint engraver. The obverse features Miss Liberty facing to the left, her hair covered by a cloth cap secured by a band inscribed LIBERTY, with tresses flowing down to her shoulder. Her neckline is draped with a gown, secured with a brooch at the shoulder. Seven stars are to the left and six to the right. The date is below. The reverse features an eagle with the shield on its breast, perched on a branch and holding arrows, with E PLURIBUS UNUM on a scroll above, and UNITED STATES OF AMERICA and 5 C. surrounding.

To no one's surprise, the span of coinage from 1829 through 1837 contains no rare dates. Specimens seen today are most often encountered in grades from Very Good through Very Fine, and these are fairly plentiful. Extremely Fine and AU pieces can also be found with frequency. Uncirculated coins are scarcer yet; with truly Gem Uncirculated pieces being elusive.