1800-1808 Draped Bust - More Details
It's hard to imagine why coinage of half cents was suspended during the years 1798-1799. It's even harder to imagine a single Half Cent had any power to purchase or the need to become change for a Cent. The Draped Bust obverse was first used on silver dollars beginning in 1795 and on certain other early denominations beginning in 1796. The obverse depicts Miss Liberty facing right, with flowing hair and a ribbon behind her head, her plunging neckline covered with drapery. LIBERTY is above, and the date is below. The reverse comprises an open wreath enclosing HALF CENT, with UNITED STATES OF AMERICA and 1/200 around the border. The edges of these and all later half cents are plain.
Produced by the millions, half cents of the 1800-1808 years are easy to find today, particularly in the normally encountered grades of Good through Very Fine. Extremely Fine coins are scarce, though not rare, and even AU pieces can be acquired without difficulty. Uncirculated coins are quite elusive and usually are of the dates 1804 or 1806, particularly the latter, for small hoards of these dates turned up many years ago. The planchet quality was considerably improved from the half cents of an earlier era, with the result that without difficulty you could acquire a coin with smooth surfaces.
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