1788 1/2C Massachusetts Half Cent

Coin Details

Description

Produced at the Massachusetts Mint in Boston under a state coinage contract, the 1788 half cent represents the final year of this historically important state-authorized coinage. The Massachusetts legislature authorized its own copper coinage in 1786, establishing a mint that operated under the direction of Captain Joshua Witherle, with dies cut by Joseph Callender — making Massachusetts one of the few states to operate a genuine government-supervised mint rather than farming production out to private contractors. Struck in copper at 5.4 grams with a 22 mm diameter and plain edge, the obverse features a spread eagle with the legend COMMONWEALTH and the date, while the reverse displays an Indian figure with bow and arrow alongside MASSACHUSETTS and the denomination HALF CENT. Cataloged in the Ryder reference system and as Whitman 5960, with PCGS #308 as the grading service identifier. The Massachusetts coppers are distinguished among state coinages for their relatively high production quality and consistent weight standards, reflecting the Commonwealth's serious approach to establishing a reliable local currency. Though described as scarce, the 1788 half cent is obtainable by dedicated colonial specialists, with survival rates higher than many contemporary state issues. The denomination of half cent anticipated the federal half cent that would begin production in 1793, and the Massachusetts coinage's orderly denominations (cent and half cent) foreshadowed the decimal system that the new federal government would adopt under the Coinage Act of 1792.

Rarity Notes

Scarce.

Cross References

Ryder; Whitman 5960