1795

Philadelphia delivered the 1795 half dimes alongside additional 1794-dated coins struck from leftover dies. Reported mintage for 1795 is 86,416, a dramatic increase over 1794 that reflected the Mint's improving ability to produce silver coinage at scale. Robert Scot's Flowing Hair design continued unchanged: Liberty with her hair streaming behind her, fifteen stars, and the small eagle within a laurel wreath on the reverse. No denomination marking appeared anywhere. Americans were expected to know a half dime when they saw one.

The 1795 is the more available of the two Flowing Hair half dime dates. Circulated examples turn up at auction with reasonable regularity, and Very Fine pieces exist in enough numbers that a determined collector can find one without spending years in the pursuit. Uncirculated coins are genuinely scarce, and gem examples are rare. The design's high relief on the obverse created striking challenges, and many survivors show soft detail in Liberty's hair and the eagle's breast regardless of grade.

Robert Scot would redesign the half dime for 1796, replacing Flowing Hair with the Draped Bust design that had already appeared on other denominations. The Flowing Hair half dime thus lasted only two years, making 1795 the final issue of a short-lived subtype. Collectors assembling a complete type set of early half dimes need at least one Flowing Hair coin, and the 1795 is the more affordable choice given its higher mintage and correspondingly better survival rate compared to the scarce 1794.