Braided Hair Half Cent

It was customary in the 1830s and 40s to give visiting dignitaries to the United States gifts of coin proof sets of U.S. coins. In 1840 Mint Director Robert M. Patterson decided to include the half cent in the proof sets and had Mint engraver Christian Gobrecht create dies for this reason. Gobrecht was also directed to complete hubs from which dies could be made in case the need for the unpopular half cents returned. Gobrecht used the Braided Hair design he had previously used on his cent of 1839.

The new Braided Hair half cent replaced the Classic Head. It was a simple design that gave a bit of dignity to the lowly half cent. Liberty’s bust has braided hair in a bun at the back of her head and ringlets of hair hanging down below the base of the bust and she faces left. She wears a tiara with LIBERTY on the tiara. There is a semicircle of thirteen stars surrounding her head. The reverse features John Reich’s half cent design of 1809 which features HALF CENT framed in a wreath that is tied with a bow at the bottom surrounded by UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.

The Braided Hair half cents of 1840 through 1849 were only made as proofs and were given to visiting diplomats in sets or were sold to collectors. The business strike orders only numbered around 16,000 coins per year. In late 1848 the Mint vaults still contained 82,000 half cents and then in 1849 as the supply ran dry, small order were received by the Mint and the coin began production again. This was stimulated by the growing shortage of silver coins that were being taken out of circulation because of the rising price of silver. Minting continued until 1857 when the denomination was discontinued. After 1850 most of the Braided Half cent coins went to U.S. Post Offices where they were used for making change.

Braided Hair half cents, even if they are found in unused condition, normally have blemishes due to copper being subject to carbon spots and corrosion marks, depending on the environment of where they were found. Look for wear spots on Liberty’s hair and on the hair curls on the lower portion of her neck. On the reverse check for traces of wear on the wreath and the 3 and 9 o’clock positions as well as on the bow.

The half cent coin totally died out in 1857.