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Braided Hair Half Cents

Gobrecht did not design the Braided Hair half cent in response to any pressing commercial need. The coin had not circulated in meaningful quantities since the final Classic Head issues of the mid-1830s, and by 1840 the Mint's vaults still held large stocks of undistributed earlier pieces. The impetus instead came from Mint Director Robert Maskell Patterson, who maintained the custom of presenting visiting dignitaries and government officials with proof sets of American coins. Patterson determined that the half cent should be included in those sets and directed Gobrecht to prepare dies for the purpose. He also instructed Gobrecht to complete hubs from which working dies could be produced if commercial demand for the denomination ever justified a return to regular coinage. Those hubs would prove their worth nearly a decade later.

Read more about Braided Hair Half Cents →
1840–1857 Years struck
40 Date / variety entries
Philadelphia only Mints

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Key date Semi-key Variety Proof Regular
Date Variety Mintage Price Guide Estimates Classification CK #
G VG F VF EF AU MS
1849 — 39,864 ——————— REGULAR CK-79
1850 — 39,812 $59$80$121$162$305$400$650 REGULAR CK-83
1851 — 147,672 $40$48$59$73$94$141$225 REGULAR CK-85
1853 — 129,694 $45$59$67$76$94$141$225 REGULAR CK-89
1854 — 55,358 $45$59$67$76$94$135$225 REGULAR CK-91
1855 — 56,500 $45$59$67$76$80$135$225 REGULAR CK-93
1856 — 40,430 $45$59$67$76$100$146$225 REGULAR CK-95
1857 — 35,180 $59$80$94$105$146$210$325 REGULAR CK-98
1849 1850 1851 1853 1854 1855 1856 1857
Date Variety Mintage Price Guide Estimates Classification CK #
G (PR) VG (PR) F (PR) VF (PR) EF (PR) AU (PR) MS (PR)
1840 Original — ——————$6,640 KEY CK-61
1840 Restrike — ——————$6,640 KEY CK-62
1841 Original — ——————$5,805 KEY CK-63
1841 Restrike — ——————$5,805 KEY CK-64
1842 Original — ——————$7,295 KEY CK-65
1842 Restrike — ——————$5,805 KEY CK-66
1843 Original — ——————$5,805 KEY CK-67
1843 Restrike — ——————$6,045 KEY CK-68
1844 Original — ——————$6,230 KEY CK-69
1844 Restrike — ——————$6,060 KEY CK-70
1845 Original — ——————$20,910 KEY CK-71
1845 Restrike — ——————$5,805 KEY CK-72
1846 Original — ——————$6,230 KEY CK-73
1846 Restrike — ——————$6,060 KEY CK-74
1847 Original — ——————$6,230 KEY CK-75
1847 Restrike — ——————$5,805 KEY CK-76
1848 Original — ——————$6,645 KEY CK-77
1848 Restrike — ——————$6,230 KEY CK-78
1849 Large Date 39,864 ——————— KEY CK-80
1849 Small Date, Original 39,864 ——————— KEY CK-81
1849 Small Date, Restrike 39,864 ——————— KEY CK-82
1850 — 39,812 ——————— KEY CK-84
1851 — 147,672 ——————— KEY CK-86
1852 Original — ——————$125,305 KEY CK-87
1852 Restrike — ——————$7,170 KEY CK-88
1853 — 129,694 ——————— KEY CK-90
1854 — 55,358 ——————— KEY CK-92
1855 — 56,500 ——————— KEY CK-94
1856 — 40,430 ——————— KEY CK-96
1856 Restrike 40,430 ——————— KEY CK-97
1857 — 35,180 ——————— KEY CK-99
1857 Restrike 35,180 ——————— KEY CK-100
1840 Original 1840 Restrike 1841 Original 1841 Restrike 1842 Original 1842 Restrike 1843 Original 1843 Restrike 1844 Original 1844 Restrike 1845 Original 1845 Restrike 1846 Original 1846 Restrike 1847 Original 1847 Restrike 1848 Original 1848 Restrike 1849 Large Date 1849 Small Date, Original 1849 Small Date, Restrike 1850 1851 1852 Original 1852 Restrike 1853 1854 1855 1856 1856 Restrike 1857 1857 Restrike