Liberty Cap Half Cent - Head Facing Right 1794-1797Coin Guide
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Liberty Cap Half Cent - Head Facing Right 1794-1797,
Photo courtesy
Barry
In August of 1794, at the battle of Fallen Timbers in Ohio, the English
were finally driven from the western forts they had maintained since the
Revolution. Although America's struggle with the British Empire had ended,
revolutionary France was still embroiled in external wars and internal
chaos. While French soldiers streamed into the Low Countries, the Reign of
Terror raged, and some 40,000 royalists were executed, many by guillotine.
Just as France had been a staunch supporter of America in its struggle
for independence, American interest in the French Revolution had initially
been highly sympathetic. But the primary difference between foreign
support for each country's revolution was that France had a great deal to
gain by helping America wrest its freedom from its arch rival, England.
America, on the other hand, had virtually nothing to gain by supporting
the French armies in their war against Great Britain. In fact, it had a
great deal to lose: Customs duties and other taxes levied on British
imports amounted to roughly 80% of the money used to operate the federal
government in the 1790s.
With America's focus shifting from revolution to nation building, its
alliance with France was further strained by that nation's continuing
societal violence, which frightened and horrified many on this side of the
Atlantic. Against this background of deteriorating American sentiment
toward France, it was ironic that the central design of a French medal was
used to represent the concept of Liberty for the U.S. half cent. The
Libertas Americana medal that inspired the 1793 half cent was designed by
French medalist Augustin Dupre as a celebration of American victories in
the Revolutionary War. Intricately detailed and highly expressive, the
medal made an excellent model for a coin. But the original adaptation of
the design lasted only one year. In 1794, Chief Engraver Robert Scot
modified the design by enlarging the bust of Liberty and having her face
right rather than left. He also greatly increased the size of the Phrygian
cap set on top of Liberty's pole. An innovative mechanical experiment was
tried with the reverse. Rather than using individual device punches to
make up the die, Scot created a complete reverse hub that included the
wreath, all lettering, and dentils around the border. The wreath was
similar to the one from the previous year but without the sprays of
berries. The entire design was prepared in higher relief than the half
cents of subsequent years. Actually, the half cents of 1794 represent a
distinct type, quite different from the half cents of 1795-97 but
traditionally included with the later years. The dies for the half cents
of 1795 through 1797 were cut by Assistant Engraver John Smith Gardner,
who lowered the relief, reduced the size of Liberty and hand-punched the
wreath elements.
While the series has only two major design types, it includes numerous
varieties. Among these is the so-called "punctuated" date of
1795, created by a slip of an engraver's tool, which resulted in the date
reading 1,795. Varieties with the pole missing in front of the bust of
Liberty exist for both 1795 and 1796, in both cases an unintentional flaw,
but caused in 1795 by excessive lapping of the die and in the following
year by the die sinker apparently forgetting to punch in the device. Some
half cents from 1795 and 1797 were struck from cut-down Talbot, Allum
& Lee tokens, necessitated by the Philadelphia Mint's frequent
shortages of copper planchet stock during the 1790s. Occasionally,
remnants of the host token can be seen with traces of the ship's sails or
the peripheral lettering apparent on the finished half cent. Plain edge
and lettered edge varieties are known for 1797. Lettered edge examples are
very rare and seldom seen above Fine condition. One of the most prominent
varieties in the series is from 1797 and shows a numeral 1 directly above
the 1 in the date. This error was created when the numeral was first
punched into the die much too high and close to the bottom of the bust.
Rather than effacing the error by polishing the die, the date was simply
punched in the working die in the correct position with the first,
higher-positioned numeral remaining clearly evident on the struck coins.
During the four years Liberty Cap half cents were struck, a total of
359,529 pieces were produced. No true proofs are known. As with all early
coppers, planchet quality varied greatly, and there is considerable
variation in striking characteristics from one year to the next. The coins
from 1794 are invariably deep brown or black in color, while those from
1795 are usually light brown. Half cents of 1796 are once again dark brown
or even black, and many exhibit porosity and planchet flaws. Planchet
quality for 1797 is above average for the series, most likely because of
the large number of coins struck from Talbot, Allum & Lee tokens,
which had been manufactured from high quality, English copper blanks.
Electrotype counterfeits are known of all four dates, and there are a
number of recognizable struck copies of the 1796 with Pole. These pieces
were produced in the mid-19th century by a British coiner named Singleton
and sold by Dr. Francis Edwards, an English physician who immigrated to
New York and died there in 1865. They differ noticeably from genuine coins
in the style of the head and larger sized letters. Because of the rarity
of genuine examples, Edwards' copies have become collectible in their own
right, and surprisingly high prices are often commanded by these
non-authentic "coins."
Grading this design can be somewhat of a challenge because of the
variation in planchet and striking quality from year to year. On high
grade pieces, wear begins to show on the obverse at the forehead, above
the ear and on the highest point of the shoulder. Friction on the reverse
is first seen on the leaves beside the H in HALF, on the bow knot and the
on ribbon ends.
Liberty Cap half cents possess undeniable appeal for both novice and
advanced numismatists and enjoy strong demand from date, die variety and
type collectors. Although half cents have always seemed to have second
class status in relation to large cents, both as a circulating medium and
among collectors, die variety collecting of this denomination has gained
many new adherents as more research is published. Cohen's 1982 American
Half Cents and Breen's 1983 Encyclopedia of United States Half Cents have
added much to the body of information available today.
The Liberty Cap half cent was last struck in 1797 when production of
the denomination was suspended. The half cent would not appear again until
1800, this time with Scot's adaptation of Gilbert Stuart's Draped Bust
design.
SPECIFICATIONS:
Diameter: 23.5 millimeters Weight: Thick planchets, 6.74 grams; Thin
planchets, 5.44 grams Composition: Copper Edge: Lettered, Plain, or
Gripped
BIBLIOGRAPHY: Bailyn, Bernard, The Ideological Origins
of the American Revolution, The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press,
Cambridge, MA, 1972. Bowers, Q. David, United States Copper Coins, An
Action Guide for the Collector & Investor, Bowers and Merena
Galleries, Wolfeboro, NH, 1984. Breen, Walter, Walter Breen's Complete
Encyclopedia of U.S. and Colonial Coins, F.C.I. Press/Doubleday, New York,
1988. Breen, Walter, Walter Breen's Encyclopedia of United States Half
Cents 1793-1857, American Institute of Numismatic Research, South Gate,
CA, 1983. Cohen, Roger S. Jr., American Half Cents, the "Little Half
Sisters," 2nd Edition, Wigglesworth & Ghatt, Arlington, VA, 1982
Coin Information Provided Courtesy NGC.
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