U.S. COIN REFERENCE · Flowing Hair half dollar
Flowing Hair halves: the edge carries the denomination
A portrait shared by early silver needs an edge and a reliable size record.
By SalarsNet · Reviewed October 5, 2026
Two dates and a lettered edge
The 1794–1795 half dollar uses Flowing Hair Liberty and a small eagle. The edge carries the denomination in words. Preserve that lettering and the actual diameter when available; a cropped face can otherwise resemble a related early denomination. The 1795 is encountered much more often than 1794.
Type references: PCGS Flowing Hair Half Dollar ↗
A die pair and an uneven strike
Early halves have multiple die varieties, commonly studied through Overton attribution. Match both obverse and reverse before assigning a number. Inspect hair, stars, eagle, wreath, and fields for wear, weak striking, and adjustment marks. Keep later scratches or tooling separate. A high-grade sale and a worn, impaired specimen do not answer the same value question.
Type references: PCGS Flowing Hair Half Dollar ↗
Compare the actual early half
Use date, die pair when established, and surface quality in the comparison record. For an uncertain 1794 date, the next useful action is a sharper date photograph and specialist authentication. An unreadable first-year claim should not control the price.
Type references: PCGS Flowing Hair Half Dollar ↗
Selected reviewed issue records
These catalog standards describe the named issue, not a measured specimen. The selected records below do not cover every date, mint, strike, or die variety. Reported production is labeled separately from established mintage. Unknown standards and mintage remain visible; survival estimates and certified populations are separate research questions.
No issue-level specification or mintage records are published for this category yet. Verify the exact date, mint, strike, metal, and subtype in its reference before using a numerical standard.
References and review
Reference reviewed October 5, 2026. Historical facts and catalog standards need to match the exact issue; price comparisons should be researched at the time of valuation.
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