A unified system of American coinage was created when the U.S. Mint in Philadelphia began striking coins in the 1790s for use across the new United States of America. These coins are quite scarce today, making them highly sought after by collectors. Some of the early denominations -- like the half cent -- have become obsolete in the American economy.
Half Cent
The first "Liberty Cap" half cent produced in 1793 featured Lady Liberty in profile, facing left. Subsequent issues had her facing to the right. The coin was made completely of copper and had a diameter of 22 mm, making it similar in size to the modern quarter. Joseph Wright designed the coin.
Large Cent
The initial penny was similar in size to the modern half dollar with a diameter of 26 to 27 mm. This copper coin designed by Henry Voigt was first struck in Philadelphia in 1793. The obverse features Lady Liberty in profile facing to the right, with her hair flowing behind her. This design was changed to the "Liberty Cap" design in the latter part of 1793 and again to the "Draped Bust" design in 1796.
Half Dime
The first "nickels" were called half dimes. As today, they were worth five cents each. The "Flowing Hair" and "Draped Bust" designs were used in the 1790s. This coin designed by Robert Scot was composed of 89.2 percent silver and 10.8 percent copper. The 16.5 mm diameter made it slightly smaller than the modern dime.
Dime
The "Draped Bust" design was also used for the dime, which the Mint first struck in 1796. The composition of this coin was the same as that of the half dime, but the diameter was larger at 19 mm. Robert Scot designed this coin.
Quarter
The Robert Scot "Draped Bust" design also featured prominently on the obverse of the quarter, which was also first minted in 1796. Silver also made up 89.2 percent of this coin, and the quarter had a diameter of 27.5 mm, making it a little bigger than modern 25-cent pieces.
Half Dollar
"Flowing Hair" of 1794 and 1795 gave way to "Draped Bust" in 1796 for the half dollar design, as was the case of most American coinage. Another Robert Scot design, the silver-copper makeup of the 50-cent coin was the same as for the other coins using these metals. With a diameter of 32.5 mm, the first half dollars were slightly larger than the ones produced today.
Dollar
The silver dollar first originated in 1794 with the same design changes and designer as the other coins of the day. Dollar coins were struck with a diameter of 39 or 40 mm, very similar in size to those produced in future centuries. The 1794 is particularly hard to find, as less than 2,000 were produced by the Mint.
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