1797 Liberty Cap Right Half Cent
Base
About This Coin
The 1797 Liberty Cap Right Half Cent is a United States cent from the Liberty Cap Right Half Cents 1794-1797 series — the final year of the series. In 1797, coins were struck at the Philadelphia Mint with a combined mintage of 639,200. This represents the highest annual mintage in the entire series, above the series median of 401,780. The obverse features Liberty facing right with a Phrygian cap on a pole behind her head and the reverse displays a wreath enclosing HALF CENT and 1/200. The final Liberty Cap Right Half Cent. Plain and lettered edge varieties exist. The 1 Above 1 variety is a notable die error. Struck in copper, weighing 5.44 grams, 23.5 mm in diameter. Across its variants, estimated values range from $612 to $11K depending on mint mark, grade, and strike type. A notable auction result reached $196K in G6 grade at Goldberg Auctioneers. Designed by John Smith Gardner.
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.
Specifications
Strike Types & Varieties(5)
1797 Liberty Cap Right Half Cent - 1 Above 1
1797 Liberty Cap Right Half Cent - Gripped Edge
1797 Liberty Cap Right Half Cent - Lettered Edge
1797 Liberty Cap Right Half Cent - Low Head, Plain Edge
