1859 Half Dime Patterns

About This Coin

Closing the Early Republic Patterns (1792-1859) for the half dime denomination, the 1859 Half Dime Patterns represent the final pre-Civil War experimental designs for the five-cent silver coin that had been part of American money since 1792. Produced at the Philadelphia Mint, the one half dime pattern of the year, Judd-232, pairs Anthony C. Paquet's 1859 obverse with the cereal-wreath reverse of 1860, so it carries no country name (USPatterns); it was struck at a moment when the half dime's future was already uncertain — within seven years, the copper-nickel five-cent piece would begin displacing it, and by 1873 it would be permanently discontinued. For collectors, the 1859 Half Dime Patterns capture the final moment of experimentation for one of America's oldest coin series.