1804 Crosslet 4, Stems

Key 1804 diagnostics: Crosslet 4 vs Plain 4 in the date, and Stems vs No Stems on the reverse wreath.

The Crosslet 4 with Stems variety of the 1804 half cent combines the serifed numeral 4 in the date with a reverse die that shows visible stem ends at the base of the wreath. Both features are die-specific, determined by the particular punches and dies selected for each production run. With over a million half cents struck in 1804, the Mint cycled through multiple die pairs, and the various combinations of obverse and reverse features are what generate the variety list.

The stems are small but distinct: two or three short lines protruding from beneath the ribbon that ties the wreath together at its base. On well-struck coins in Fine or better condition, they are clearly visible. On heavily worn pieces, they may blend into the surrounding surface, making variety attribution uncertain. Collectors who care about die variety attribution (and in early American copper, many do) look for this detail specifically and pay modest premiums for confirmed examples.

Among the 1804 half cent varieties, the Crosslet 4 Stems is neither the rarest nor the most common. All 1804 varieties benefit from the year's high mintage, which means that unlike earlier dates in the series, finding an example in acceptable condition is not a multi-year project. The 1804 half cent is where the Draped Bust series becomes genuinely accessible to collectors who are not prepared to spend four-figure sums on a single coin in lower grades.

A well-centered example with full stems, clear crosslets on the 4, and even brown surfaces represents the variety well. Strike quality on 1804 half cents is generally good; the Mint was operating efficiently by this point in the year, and the dies were producing clean impressions consistently. The soft copper composition still means that surface condition varies enormously from coin to coin, but the starting material was better than in earlier years.