1797 Draped Bust Half Dime
Base
About This Coin
The 1797 Draped Bust Half Dime is a United States dime from the Draped Bust Half Dimes 1796-1805 series — the second year of the series. In 1797, coins were struck at the Philadelphia Mint with a combined mintage of 133,581. This represents the highest annual mintage in the entire series, above the series median of 27,760. The obverse features Liberty facing right with draped bust and ribbon-bound hair, designed after a Gilbert Stuart portrait and the reverse displays a small, naturalistic eagle perched on a palm branch within a wreath (1796-1797) or a heraldic eagle with shield on breast, olive branch and arrows in talons, with a banner reading E PLURIBUS UNUM (1800-1805). Multiple obverse die varieties with different star counts (13, 15, 16 stars). Small eagle reverse continued. Struck in 89.2% silver, 10.8% copper, weighing 1.35 grams, 16.5 mm in diameter, with a reeded edge. Produced 5 years before the celebrated 1802 key date. Across its variants, estimated values range from $2.3K to $31K depending on mint mark, grade, and strike type. A notable auction result reached $165K in MS67 grade at Stack's Bowers. Designed by Robert Scot.
Value Estimates
Values as of May 2026 — range across all strike types, reflecting typical grades (G-4 through MS-63). Coins in lower or exceptional grades may fall outside this range.
