Flowing Hair Half Dimes 1794-1795 Coin Guide
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Flowing Hair Half Dimes 1794-1795
During the colonial era, the economic system in the American colonies
was tied into the English system of pounds, shillings and pence. A less
cumbersome method of coinage, the decimal system, had long been championed
by Thomas Jefferson, Alexander Hamilton and financier Robert Morris. After
several unsuccessful attempts to pass authorizing legislation, their plans
finally came to fruition with the Mint Act of April 2, 1792. Both the
establishment of a mint and the decimal system were not only seen as
practical for the new nation but symbolic of a break from England as well.
The first half dimes to be struck in the United States were the famous
half dismes of 1792. These coins were produced before an actual mint
building had been erected, but they were made by official Mint personnel.
A total of 1500 were issued from dies which are thought to have been
designed and engraved by British medalist William Russell Birch. The
striking process was overseen by Adam Eckfeldt, a Mint officer, and John
Harper, a machinist who lived nearby the proposed site of the new mint.
The coins were made in the cellar of Harper's building at Sixth and Cherry
Streets, and legend has it that at least some were coined from silverware
provided by Martha Washington.
The production of these coins was an act of incredible political
significance. In the past, coinage of silver was a royal prerogative. In a
new, purely Democratic society such as the United States, the coinage of
silver was a clear and distinct act of national independence.
The Flowing Hair half dimes of 1794-95 were designed by Robert Scot,
the chief engraver of the Mint. His design was different than that found
on Birch's 1792 half dismes (the spelling of "disme" would
gradually evolve to "dime." On the 1792 coins, the denomination
is spelled HALF DISME).
Scot's design features a head of Liberty facing to the right with
distinctive flowing hair. Fifteen stars, arranged 8x7, surround the head
with the date below and the word LIBERTY above. On the reverse, an eagle
stands amid an olive branch with the legend UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
around it. There is no indication of this coin's value on either side, nor
would there be until the Capped Bust design was adopted in 1829.
All of the 7,756 Flowing Hair half dimes dated 1794 were actually
struck in March of 1795. The 1794 half dime is a scarce coin in any grade.
In mint state it is very rare, though a group of a dozen or so extremely
choice uncirculated pieces exist from a hoard found and dispersed around
1880.
A total of 78,660 1795 half dimes were produced. This issue is much
more readily available than its 1794-dated counterpart. While most often
seen in lower grades, the 1795 half dime can be obtained without a great
deal of difficulty in mint state. A hoard of 100 or so uncirculated pieces
was discovered around 1880 by Massachusetts coin dealer William Elliot
Woodward; this hoard also contained the uncirculated 1794s mentioned
above.
All Flowing Hair half dimes were struck at the first Philadelphia Mint.
No true proofs are known, although some very sharp, reflective examples
can lay claim to the status of "Presentation Pieces."
Four different die varieties are known for the 1794 half dimes. Only
one of these is relatively common. Ten different die varieties exist for
the 1795 half dime. Over 80% of all 1795 half dimes are from three of
these varieties, and the rest are very rare. While a number of these very
interesting die varieties exist for the Flowing hair half dime series,
these coins are nearly always collected as a type. The major reason for
this has to do with the difficulty of assembling extensive, higher grade
die variety sets. These varieties were identified and described by Daniel
Valentine in his pioneering 1931 monograph, and this remained the standard
reference for generations. As this is written in 1998, the hobby is
awaiting the publication of a completely new variety book by Russell Logan
and John McCloskey.
As one would expect, the quality of strike for 1794 half dimes is
generally poor. In fact, the United States Mint had considerable trouble
striking coins of this denomination until the 1830s. It is very hard to
locate a 1794 half dime which is sharply detailed on the hair of Liberty.
In addition, the eagle's breast feathers are very often flat and
indistinct. On high grade pieces, wear will first show on the hair to the
left of the ear, the forehead and on the eagle's head, breast and the tops
of its wings.
Many of these early half dimes show adjustment marks on their surfaces.
These are file marks made on the planchet before a coin is struck in order
to reduce the weight to the Mint's standard. Adjustment marks are very
common on 18th and early 19th century American coins, and they are not
considered a significant detriment to the grade or the value of a coin.
The quality of strike for 1795 half dimes is a bit better than for
1794s but not by much. The centers are very often flatly impressed, and
this tends to give the erroneous impression of wear. A number of coins
show pronounced die cracks which further weaken the overall quality of
strike. As with the 1794s, a number of 1795 half dimes show adjustment
marks on their surfaces.
The design for half dimes was changed in 1796. Robert Scot was
instructed to create a new, uniform design for the current silver
denominations. The half dime, dime, quarter dollar and half dollar of 1796
all have a Draped Bust obverse which is coupled with the Small Eagle
reverse. This design had debuted on the silver dollars of 1795. Mint
officials considered the standardization of coinage design-in all
metals-to be very important, and they continually strove for a high degree
of uniformity.
The Flowing Hair half dime is a very important coin in that it is one
of the first official silver issues produced at the Philadelphia Mint by
the United States. These coins are not terribly expensive in the higher
circulated grades, and they represent very fertile ground for the
collector who is interested in the early history of this country.
SPECIFICATIONS:
Diameter: Approximately 16.5 millimeters Weight: 1.35 grams
Composition: .8924 silver, .1076 copper Edge: Reeded Net Weight: .03873
ounce pure silver
BIBLIOGRAPHY: Breen, Walter, Walter Breen's Complete
Encyclopedia of U.S. and Colonial Coins, F.C.I./Doubleday, New York, 1988.
Breen, Walter, United States Half Dimes: A Supplement, New York, 1958.
Valentine, Daniel W., The United States Half Dimes, Quarterman
Publications, Inc., Lawrence, MA, 1975.
Coin Information Provided Courtesy NGC.
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