U.S. COIN REFERENCE · Liberty Cap half cent
Liberty Cap half cents: turn the portrait before choosing the type
The direction Liberty faces separates the first half cent from the coins that followed it.
By SalarsNet · Reviewed October 5, 2026
Left, right, and the changing head
The 1793 portrait faces left. The 1794 portrait faces right with a large head; the smaller-head design belongs to 1795–1797. These distinctions matter even when the date is readable: a type collection asks for different objects from a date collection. The reverse HALF CENT also keeps this denomination separate from the contemporary large cent.
Type references: PCGS Liberty Cap Half Cent ↗
Read the copper without improving it
Photograph the cap, portrait outline, date, wreath, and rim under diffuse light. Make a separate record of pitting and scratches before comparing surviving detail with grade photographs. A dark surface can retain detail that a bright, polished surface has lost. Cleaning a coin to expose a numeral can destroy the surface evidence you needed to evaluate it.
Type references: PCGS Liberty Cap Half Cent ↗
The 1796 question
The 1796 is a recognized difficult date within this short series. That makes a claimed date worth checking against the matching die reference and an authentication record. An unclear last digit supports an unresolved date, not a 1796 premium. Choose sold examples with the same portrait type and comparable copper surfaces.
Type references: PCGS Liberty Cap Half Cent ↗
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.