THE HALF DIME 1794-1873

IT IS SOMETIMES SAID that the smallest coins are also the least collected yet it is in these very pieces that we see the everyday life of our forefathers. The silver dollar is large and impressive, but ordinary citizens rarely saw such a coin in their daily affairs. In this article we will examine the lowly half dime, little known today but once a very popular coin.

There had been a small coinage, about 2,000 pieces of this denomination in 1792, by personal order of President George Washington, but it was not until the spring of 1794 that preparations for a regular silver coinage got underway. At first it was intended to begin with the half dime and a pair of pattern dies was executed by Chief Engraver Robert Scot. However, it was later decided to commence with the dollar instead and coinage began in Oct. 1794 with that in mind.

Mint Assayer Albion Cox told Director David Rittenhouse in the summer of 1794 that the fineness established by law, .8924+, would cause the coins to turn black in circulation so he suggested that the fineness be raised to 900/1000. Incredibly, this was done, and all the silver coinage struck through the end of Oct. 1795 was made using this illegal standard.

There were problems with Mint machinery in the latter part