Half Dimes: The Silver Five-Cent Coin That Time Forgot

Before There Were Nickels

Before the Shield Nickel arrived in 1866, America's five-cent coin was the half dime — a tiny silver coin that served everyday commerce from the 1790s through 1873. The 1792 half disme may even predate the official establishment of the Mint itself, with tradition holding that George Washington provided his own silver tableware for the striking.

The series spans five design types: Flowing Hair (1794-1795), Draped Bust (1796-1805), Capped Bust (1829-1837), and Seated Liberty (1837-1873). The 1802 is a famous rarity with only about 30 survivors from a mintage of 3,060.

What killed the half dime was economics. When the Shield Nickel debuted in 1866 with its cheaper copper-nickel alloy, the writing was on the wall. The Coinage Act of 1873 formally ended the denomination, and silver five-cent pieces were gone forever.

The 1870-S Seated Liberty half dime is one of the great rarities — only one example is known to survive.

Discussion

• Do you collect half dimes, or do you have a type set example?
• Seated Liberty half dimes with and without arrows — which do you prefer?
• If the Mint still made silver five-cent coins, would you collect them?