1796 16 Stars

Tennessee's admission to the Union on June 1, 1796 prompted Robert Scot to modify the obverse of the new Draped Bust half dollar, adding a sixteenth star to acknowledge the latest state. The 1796 16 Stars issue was struck during the second half of that year using the same Small Eagle reverse paired with the 15 Stars variant earlier in the production cycle, so the only design difference is the obverse star count. Combined 1796-1797 Small Eagle output was reported at roughly 3,918 pieces in the U.S. Mint Director's accounts, allocated across all three Small Eagle entries and reflective of how fragmentary half dollar production was at the still-young Philadelphia facility. The Coinage Act of April 2, 1792 set the silver standard at 412.5 grains and .8924 fine, specifications carried by every coin in the run.

Survival for the 16 Stars is comparable to its 15-star sibling, with PCGS and NGC pop reports combined placing examples in the low triple digits across all grades and Mint State holders measured in single digits per service. Most surviving coins grade Good through Very Fine, and strike softness on the breast feathers of the eagle and on the upper curls of Liberty's hair is the rule rather than the exception. Planchet adjustment marks, the file lines applied to overweight blanks at the Mint to bring them onto the legal weight tolerance, are common and authentic. Counterfeit detection rests heavily on weight verification at approximately 13.48 grams and on inspecting the lettered edge reading FIFTY CENTS OR HALF A DOLLAR for original Castaing-machine impression depth. A reworked or partial edge is the single fastest disqualifier.

The 16 Stars issue draws particularly intense interest from collectors who want a single representative 1796 half dollar with the historical anchor of Tennessee's statehood baked into the design. Auction trades typically run in the high five figures for circulated examples and well into six figures for choice grades, with original-skin coins commanding the largest premiums over cleaned or retoned survivors. For the broader story of Robert Scot's design, the Small Eagle to Heraldic Eagle transition, and the series' production arc, see the Draped Bust Half Dollar series history.