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Overview of U.S. Half Dime
The Mint Act passed by Congress on April 2, 1792, provided that ". . . the money of
account of the United States shall be expressed in dollars or units, dismes or tenths,
cents or hundredths, . . . a disme being the tenth part of a dollar . . ." It seemed
very fitting that this country, born of revolution, should use a revolutionary system
for coinage.
The first decimal coin struck was the William Russell Birch designed pattern half dismes
of 1792. While struck by Mint officials, the Mint building had not been built at that time.
This small mintage (1,500) was only an experiment. The coins were made in the cellar of
Harper's building at Sixth and Cherry Streets In Philadelphia. The limited strike was most
likely, according to Walter Breen, half dismes in order to make economical use of the $75
worth of silver bullion, which was all they had on hand at the time. Legends tell us that
at least some were coined from silverware provided by Martha Washington.
It wasn't until 1795 that regular minting of the half dime began, though the first examples
were coined from dies dated 1794. Robert Scot's Flowing Hair design was widely criticized
for its scrawny eagle and its portrayal of Miss Liberty in a "fright wig."
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