Rare Silver Half Dimes from the US MINT
These Post Revolutionary War Silver Half Dimes are silver coins that were valued at five cents and were roughly half the size of a dime. They are very important coins historically because there are many numismatists who consider these to be the first coins ever minted by the United States under America’s first coinage law, the Coinage Act of 1792. Production is believed to have begun in 1792, not long after the Constitutional Congress had adopted the United States Constitution which gave congress the stated authority to create coinage. Silver Half Dimes are extremely collectible for several important reasons that are rooted in the fierce debate between Thomas Jefferson and Alexandar Hamilton: State’s Rights on Jefferson’s side and Federalism on Hamilton’s side. First, by today’s standards, yearly issues were struck in extremely limited mintages due to a much smaller population of citizens needing coins. For example, only 7,000 of the 1794 Flowing Hair version were produced, and even until 1800 - 1805, only 40,000 of the Draped Bust design were issued. Second, because the United States Treasury and Mint held weak central authority, it was difficult to determine who should decide how to portray liberty or what motto's and images American coins should contain. In addition to design considerations, Congress was still experimenting with precisely what denominations and metals were most useful for commerce. Therefore, coin designs were tested and discontinued at what would today be a chaotic rate. The fledgling nation of the United States of America was just getting its footing, and coin designs were neither uniform nor sustained until the Pre Civil War period. In fact, private coin producers were still creating their own coinage during this time. Therefore, the Half Dime enjoyed many design changes that make them very interesting pieces of American history, with a political story and intrigue behind each coin’s new design. These factors have made collecting these extremely valuable and rare coins both fascinating and satisfying for generations of collectors, and they are worth far more than their modest weight in silver content. Some early issues in good condition are considered almost priceless and are considered appropriate for museums as representative artifacts from the Post Revolutionary War period of American history.
