1853 Braided Hair Half Cent
Base
About This Coin
The 1853 Braided Hair Half Cent is a United States cent from the Braided Hair Half Cents 1840-1857 series — 14th of 18 years in the series. In 1853, coins were struck at the Philadelphia Mint with a combined mintage of 129,694. This represents the second-highest annual mintage in the series, above the series median of 56. The obverse features Liberty facing left with braided hair swept up and held by a beaded cord, wearing a headband inscribed LIBERTY and the reverse displays a wreath enclosing ONE CENT. Continued strong production despite rising copper prices. Struck in copper, weighing 5.44 grams, 23 mm in diameter, with a plain edge. Across its variants, estimated values range from $69 to $612 depending on mint mark, grade, and strike type. A notable auction result reached $4.4K in MS67 grade at Heritage Auctions. Designed by Christian Gobrecht.
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(1)
Other Base Coins in This Series
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