Half Penny Coin: U.S. Half Cents and UK Halfpennies

Yes. The United States struck a half cent, worth 0.5 cent, from 1793 to 1857. It was pure copper and roughly the size of a modern nickel. The Coinage Act of February 21, 1857 ended both the half cent and the large cent and authorised the small Flying Eagle cent (Wikipedia). Wikipedia puts its buying power at 12 to 17 cents in 2025 money.

The design tells you the period (Wikipedia):

• Liberty Cap, head facing left: 1793 only.
• Liberty Cap, head facing right: 1794–1797.
• Draped Bust: 1800–1808.
• Classic Head: 1809–1836.
• Braided Hair: 1840–1857.

Low-mintage dates, also from Wikipedia: 1796 (1,390 struck) and 1831 (2,200 struck). The 1840–1849 and 1852 half cents were made only as proofs, some of them restrikes, so a worn coin with one of those dates deserves a careful look.

Every half cent is at least 168 years old, and none is worth only half a cent. USA CoinBook dealer asking prices, checked September 25, 2026, show 161 listings from about $59 to $1,675, most between $69 and $189. Examples: an 1851 Braided Hair in VF+ at $125, Classic Head coins from the 1820s and 1830s at $69 to $160, and an 1804 Draped Bust in AU at $1,675. These are what sellers ask, not confirmed sale prices; the low-mintage dates above sell for much more. How grade turns into price is explained in the coin grading guide.

The pre-decimal halfpenny was worth half a penny, 1/480 of a pound. It was struck from 1672 to 1967, in copper until 1860 and bronze afterwards; the bronze coin weighs 5.67 g and is 25.48 mm across. The reverse showed Britannia from 1717 to 1936 and Sir Francis Drake's ship the Golden Hind from 1937. It stopped being legal tender on 31 July 1969, and 750,000 more were struck dated 1970 for sets (Wikipedia). It is still used to play shove ha'penny, a British pub game.

The decimal halfpenny was worth £0.005 and was introduced in February 1971 to make price conversions more exact. It is a small bronze coin, 1.78 g and 17.14 mm, with a crown and the fraction 1/2 on the reverse. The reverse reads NEW PENNY from 1971 to 1981 and HALF PENNY from 1982 to 1984. 1,394,188,251 were struck in 1971, but none for circulation in 1972, 1983 or 1984: coins with those dates came only in proof and uncirculated sets. It was demonetised in December 1984 (Wikipedia).

• Reads HALF CENT, copper, 22–23.5 mm: U.S. half cent, 1793–1857.
• Monarch portrait, Britannia or a sailing ship, about 25.5 mm: British pre-decimal halfpenny.
• Small crown with 1/2, 17 mm, NEW PENNY or HALF PENNY: British decimal halfpenny, 1971–1984.

Measurements are from Wikipedia. CoinLens tells these apart from a photo.

Research and drafting for this page were assisted by AI and checked line by line against the sources listed below. Every price names the price guide, dealer listing or auction and the date it was read; where we could not confirm a figure we say so instead of estimating. If you find an error, tell us and we will correct it.