1793 Liberty Cap Half Cent (Facing Left): History and Design

The 1793 Liberty Cap half cent is the coin that opened the half cent series, a run of six distinct designs that would end 64 years later with the Braided Hair half cent of 1857. It was struck for a single year before the design was reworked, which makes it one of the shortest-lived types in the entire history of U.S. copper coinage and, for type collectors, an obvious starting point for building a half cent set. It is also among the very first coins produced by the newly organized United States Mint in Philadelphia.

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Design and history

On the obverse, Liberty faces left, her long hair flowing behind her and a pole rising over her shoulder to support a soft Liberty cap — imagery borrowed from classical and revolutionary symbolism that would have been immediately recognizable to an eighteenth-century audience. LIBERTY runs along the upper border and the date sits below the portrait. The reverse states HALF CENT inside a wreath, with UNITED STATES OF AMERICA around the border and the fraction 1/200 beneath it, spelling out in plain terms that two hundred of these coins equaled one dollar.

According to PCGS CoinFacts, the design and dies were prepared by Henry Voigt, the Mint’s first chief coiner. Older numismatic scholarship sometimes credited Mint Director David Rittenhouse with conceiving the design, and some catalog records simply list the designer as unknown — a reminder that authorship at the brand-new Mint was often a shared, poorly documented process rather than the work of a single credited artist in the way later federal coinage would be.

Every 1793 half cent was struck at the Philadelphia Mint, the only federal mint then in existence, so there is no mintmark to look for. The coins were struck in pure copper, roughly 22 millimeters across and about 6.74 grams under the original weight standard, with an edge lettered TWO HUNDRED FOR A DOLLAR — a second, physical restatement of the coin’s value. Early Mint equipment was hand-operated and planchets were often irregular, so even coins that left the Mint in new condition could show striking weakness, adjustment marks, or an off-center appearance that had nothing to do with later wear.

The coin circulated in an economy still dominated by foreign silver and gold, state-issued coppers, and privately struck tokens; Congress had to temporarily keep certain foreign coins as legal tender because the young Mint could not yet supply the country’s full need for small change. The half cent, tiny as its face value was, played a genuine role in that transitional monetary system. As the only year to use this left-facing portrait, the 1793 half cent stands as a distinct chapter rather than one date within a longer run — in 1794 Liberty was turned to face right and the whole design was reworked, a change covered on the 1794 Liberty Cap, Large Head half cent page, which walks through that redesign in more detail.

Notable dates within this design

Because this design was struck only in 1793, there is no run of dates to compare against one another the way there is with later half cent types. The entire type is, in effect, a single notable date. PCGS’s population data shows that most survivors grade in the lower end of the circulated range, and problem-free, well-preserved examples are considerably scarcer than the type’s one-year status alone might suggest — a reflection of the crude striking conditions of the Mint’s earliest years combined with more than two centuries of handling and storage since. There is no meaningful “common” 1793 half cent the way there are common dates within later, longer-running designs.

Collecting this design

Early copper of this age needs to be evaluated on different terms than later coinage. Certified examples from PCGS or NGC are strongly preferable to raw coins at this level, both because authentication matters on a coin this old and valuable and because grading early copper involves judgment calls — about strike, planchet quality, and surface preservation — that a specialist grading service is better equipped to make consistently than an individual buyer.

Environmental damage is the norm rather than the exception for coins struck 230 years ago. Porosity, verdigris, old cleaning, and pitting are common on 1793 half cents, and grading services routinely note these issues on a coin’s holder as details that separate a “details” or “problem” coin from one that grades in the numeric, unqualified range. A problem coin can still be a legitimate collectible and a reasonable way to own the type at a lower price point, but its value is discounted relative to a comparable coin without those issues, and that distinction should always be reflected in the asking price. Buyers who are new to colonial and early federal copper are especially well served by sticking to certified coins while they build familiarity with what natural, honest wear on copper looks like.

Suggested search terms and filters

• “1793 half cent”
• “1793 Liberty Cap half cent”
• “Liberty Cap half cent facing left”
• Filter by grading service (PCGS, NGC)
• Filter by grade range (Good through About Uncirculated is the realistic range for most collector budgets)
• Filter for “details” or “problem coin” if searching for a lower-cost example

Availability and pricing notes

As a one-year type and one of the earliest United States coins in existence, the 1793 half cent commands a meaningful premium over most other half cent dates even in worn condition, and pricing climbs quickly as grade and eye appeal improve. Listings for this date can be limited at any given moment, and desirable examples — particularly problem-free coins in mid to higher circulated grades — tend to sell quickly once listed.

GetCoinHunt does not guarantee that every listing is authentic, accurately graded, or fairly priced. Authentication, grading, pricing, and fulfillment remain the responsibility of the dealer or marketplace offering the coin.

How the GetCoinHunt wishlist alert works

1. Search for the coin. Enter “1793 Liberty Cap Half Cent” to search participating dealer inventory.
2. Review the available matches. Compare listings by grade, certification, surface quality, and asking price.
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5. Verify before buying. Confirm certification, review the holder’s grade and any details designation, and check the seller’s return policy.

Frequently asked questions

Why is the 1793 half cent considered a distinct design rather than just an early date?

Because Liberty faces left only in 1793. Every half cent from 1794 onward faces right, using a substantially reworked portrait, so 1793 stands alone as its own one-year type within the broader half cent series.

Who designed the 1793 half cent?

PCGS credits Henry Voigt, the Mint’s first chief coiner, with preparing the design and dies, though some older scholarship and individual catalog listings attribute the concept to Mint Director David Rittenhouse or list the designer as unknown.

Is the 1793 half cent rare?

It is scarce relative to demand, particularly in problem-free condition, though not as rare as some later low-mintage half cent dates. Its significance comes from its one-year design status and its place as one of the first coins of the U.S. Mint as much as from raw rarity.

What does the edge lettering TWO HUNDRED FOR A DOLLAR mean?

It restates the coin’s value directly on its edge: two hundred half cents equaled one dollar. This was a common practice on early U.S. copper coinage, which used lettered edges to help an unfamiliar public understand the value of the new federal coins.

Should I buy a raw (uncertified) 1793 half cent?

Given the coin’s age, value, and the prevalence of environmental damage and old cleaning on surviving examples, a certified example from PCGS or NGC is the safer choice for most collectors, especially those without deep experience evaluating colonial-era copper.

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