1836 Small 5C

The 1836 Small 5C variety uses the compact denomination punches, producing a shorter and narrower 5C on the reverse than the Large 5C version. The distinction is consistent across all coins struck from the Small 5C dies, and specialists catalog the variety separately from the Large 5C. Both varieties share the 1836 total mintage of 1,900,000 coins in uneven proportions.

Among 1836 half dime collectors, the Small 5C is a common enough target for variety sets. Neither 1836 variety dominates the other in the market, though specific die marriages within each may be scarcer than others based on how long each die pair remained in service. A well-attributed Small 5C in Very Fine or better is a solid representative of the variety at a moderate price.

The 1836 is the penultimate year of the Capped Bust half dime. By this point, Christian Gobrecht was fully in charge of die cutting at the Philadelphia Mint, and he was actively developing the Seated Liberty design that would replace the Capped Bust the following year. The 1836 half dimes are thus among the last coins produced under the old design before the transition.