1836 Large 5C

The 1836 half dime comes in two varieties distinguished by the size of the denomination marking on the reverse. The Large 5C version uses the taller denomination punches. The total 1836 mintage was 1,900,000 coins across both varieties. The Large 5C is one of two collectible combinations for the year, and specialists pursue both as separate die marriages.

The year 1836 was pivotal at the Philadelphia Mint. Christian Gobrecht, who had been doing most of the engraving work since William Kneass's 1835 stroke, produced his famous Gobrecht dollar that year, an attempt to return the silver dollar to production after a thirty-year hiatus. The Seated Liberty design that would dominate American silver coinage for decades was first seen on the Gobrecht dollar, and within two years Gobrecht would be working to apply the same concept to the half dime. The Capped Bust half dime had one year remaining before the transition began.

The 1836 Large 5C is available in circulated grades and Uncirculated examples exist in meaningful numbers. Strike quality varies; the eagle's breast on the reverse is often softly struck, a characteristic weakness of the Capped Bust design that affects coins across the entire series.