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Draped Bust Half Dime 1796 - 1805
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With the poor reception given the Flowing Hair half dime, Mint Director DeSaussure
ordered a redesign of the coins. Seemingly because of a lack of confidience in Scot, who designed
the Flowing Hair coins, DeSaussure ask Gilbert Stuart for sketches of a new Liberty head.
Stuarts sketch was of a Mrs William Bingham of Rhode Island. Since Vermont and Kentuckey
had joined the Union, the 1796 Half Dime had fifteen stars. Shortly thereafter, a sixteenth
star was added when Tennessee joined the Union.
Director DeSaussure’s successor, Elias Boudinot, understood that the practice of adding more
stars needed to stop. The 1797 coin had the stars reduced to 13 symbolic of the origional 13
colonies that broke away from England.
Philadelphia was often plaged by yellow feaver in the summer and fall, and betwee the
years 1797 and 1804 it was particularly bad. It even became necessary to shut down the
Mint several times during the season. Engraver Joseph Wright and assayer Joseph Whitehead
both died of the feaver in 1793 and the following year, Mint Treasurer Dr. Nicholas died.
This explains why the mintage was low some years, and very low in others.
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Vital Stats.
- Designer: Robert Scot
- Content: 89.2% silver 10.8% copper
- Diameter: 16.5 millimeters
- Edge: Reeded
- Weight: 1.3 grams
- Mint Mark Legend: None (all coins were minted in Philadelphia)
No "I View" Grading! However, the weare patterns on the Draped Bust half dime are
very simmilar to the Draped Bust Dime which has "I View Grading".
Type 1 Small Eagle |
Year/
Mint Mark | Circulation
Strikes |
| 1796 | 10,230 |
| 1797 | 44,527 |
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Type 1
Small Eagle
Only a few varieties exist, and all are rare. Two notable varieties are, a broken B in
LIBERTY which makes it appear to be LIKERTy and an overdate, 1796/5
1796 "LIKERTY" Half Dime Example
No half dimes were struck in 1798 and 1799. The coin was again minted in 1800 with
the same Draped Bust obverse, but with a new heraldic eagle device from the Great
Seal of the United States on the reverse.
Grading Standards
It should be noted that most Draped Bust/Small Eagle half dimes are often weakly
struck, especially in the center. Typical specimen may grade only Fine.
AG3 Almost Good - Details clear enough to identify.
G4 Good - Date, stars, LIBERTY readable. Bust outlined but no details.
VG8 Very Good - Some details show.
F12 Fine - Hair and drapery lines worn but visible.
VF20 Very Fine - Only left of drapery indistinct.
EF40 Extremely Fine - All hairlines show details.
AU50 About Uncirculated - Slight wear on bust, shoulder and hair; wear on head and top of small eagle's wings.
MS60 Uncirculated - No trace of wear. Light blemishes.
MS63 Uncirculated - Some distracting marks or blemishes in prime focal areas. Luster may be impaired.
Wear first begins to shows on the hair above the forehead and on
the hair over her ear and shoulder and on the area where the bust meets the drapery line.
On the reverse, pay attention to the center of the eagle’s breast and the ribbon.
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Type 2 Large Eagle |
Year/
Mint Mark | Circulation
Strikes |
| 1800 | 40,000 |
| 1801 | 27,760 |
| 1802 | 3,060 |
| 1803 | 37,850 |
| 1805 | 15,600 |
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Type 2
Heraldic Eagle
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Dispite the convenience when making change, production remained limited. Many banks
and the markets prefered the Mexican silver half reales (worth approximatly six cents)
and their use remaind wide spread. In 1805 the Mint ceased production of the half dime
and did not resume production until 1829 with the Capped Bust design.
The "Draped Bust" image appears on the following coins, and was used for the
years listed. Many of these coins were used to make jewelry, which may partially
account for their scaresity.
| Half Cent: | 1800 - 1808 |
| One Cent: | 1796 - 1807 |
| Half Dime: | 1796 - 1805 |
| Ten Cent: | 1796 - 1807 |
| Quarter Dollar: | 1796 - 1807 |
| Half Dollar: | 1796 - 1807 |
| One Dollar: | 1795 - 1804 |
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U.S. Bust Half Dimes
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