1796 Likerty

The 1796 "Likerty" half dime shows a die error in the word LIBERTY on the obverse. The engraver who cut the die punched the letter B inverted or rotated, producing what appears at first glance to read LIKERTY rather than LIBERTY. The mistake was not caught before the die entered production, and every coin struck from it carries the same misspelling. The Mint used the die anyway. In the 1790s, dies were expensive and time-consuming to produce, and the Philadelphia Mint's standard practice was to press imperfect dies into service rather than discard them.

The Likerty variety is recognized in the major references and is cataloged as a distinct die marriage. Identification requires examining the word LIBERTY under magnification to confirm the altered character of the B. On well-preserved coins, the misshapen letter is immediately obvious once pointed out. On worn examples, the distinction can be subtle and attribution may require certification by a major grading service.

The 1796 Half Dime was the first year of the Draped Bust design, introduced by Robert Scot to replace the Flowing Hair type that had ended in 1795. Scot adapted the portrait from a drawing attributed to Gilbert Stuart, the artist famous for his Washington portraits. The reverse continues the small eagle within a wreath design from Flowing Hair, with minor refinements. The Likerty variety is one of several 1796 half dime die varieties collected by early American silver specialists, and it carries a meaningful premium over standard 1796 coins.