1836 Capped Bust Half Dollar, Lettered Edge
Circulation strike struck at the Philadelphia Mint · 6,545,000 made
- Mintage
- 6,545,000
- Metal
- 89.24% silver, 10.76% copper
- Weight
- 13.48 g
- Diameter
- 32.5 mm (lettered edge); 30 mm (reeded edge)
Original illustration. Tap to flip. Not a photograph of the actual coin.
Face value · Metal value · Small premium · Collector premium · Significant rarity. We use bands because prices change daily.
What is an 1836 Capped Bust Half Dollar, Lettered Edge worth?
In worn condition it trades for about its silver content, 0.3868 troy ounces. Uncirculated coins with full luster or attractive toning sell for more.
What would make yours worth more:
- Uncirculated condition with full original luster
- A die variety or minting error
For market prices, check recent sold results for certified coins in the same grade.
Quick answers
- Is the 1836 Capped Bust Half Dollar, Lettered Edge rare?
- No. With 6.5 million made, it's one of the most common Capped Bust Half Dollars.
- Is the 1836 Capped Bust Half Dollar, Lettered Edge silver?
- Yes. It's 89.24% silver, 10.76% copper and holds 0.3868 troy ounces of pure silver.
- Where is the mint mark on an 1836 Capped Bust Half Dollar?
- No mint mark. Struck in Philadelphia.
- Which Philadelphia dates near 1836 are scarcer?
- The 1836, Reeded Edge at 1,200, the 1839 at 1,392,976, the 1838 at 3,546,000, plus 6 more. So the 1836 is one of the easier dates of its stretch.
- How many 1836 Capped Bust Half Dollar, Lettered Edge coins were made?
- 6,545,000.
What to check on your 1836
- There's no mint mark on this one, so the date and condition are what matter.
- Don't clean it. Cleaning leaves fine scratches and an unnatural shine that collectors avoid.
- Old coins pick up damage over a long life. Look for holes, bends, scratches or signs of cleaning before you judge the grade, because a damaged coin sells for a fraction of a problem-free one.
- Judge the grade under good light. Look at the curls near the ear, the clasp at the shoulder and the eagle's neck and wings.
Circulated examples are usually traded for their silver content. Pick out the best ones: original luster and attractive toning lift a coin above melt, while cleaned coins lose most of their collector value.
The story of the 1836
Philadelphia ramped up hard in 1836: 6,545,000 coins, about 5454 times the 1836 run. The next year it made 3.6 million (1837).
It was the big producer of the year, well ahead of 1836 (1,200).
Of the 33 Capped Bust Half Dollars Philadelphia struck between 1807 and 1839, none was made in bigger numbers. The scarcest Philadelphia issue is the 1836, Reeded Edge at 1,200. No Capped Bust Half Dollar of the 1830s had a bigger run.
1836 is the last year the Capped Bust Half Dollar was made in 89.24% silver, 10.76% copper. Check the edge or weigh it if you find one from the year after.
Steam press and reeded edge (1836 to 1839)
In late 1836 the Mint used its new steam-powered press to strike a redesigned half dollar modified by Christian Gobrecht. It was smaller, at about 30 mm, with a reeded edge in place of the lettered one. Only 1,200 reeded edge halves are dated 1836. Lettered edge halves were also struck that year, including an error with 50 over 00 in the denomination.
The 1837 reverse reads 50 CENTS, while 1838 and 1839 read HALF DOL. The 1837 coins were the first struck to the new standard of 90 percent silver and 13.36 grams. New Orleans struck about 20 halves in 1838. They are among the rarest of all American silver coins. The 1838-O and 1839-O carry their mint mark on the obverse above the date, an unusual position. The Seated Liberty half replaced the design later in 1839.
Elsewhere in US coinage in 1836
The Philadelphia Mint began using its first steam-powered coining press in 1836, the start of a gradual shift from hand-operated screw presses. Christian Gobrecht's seated Liberty dollar was struck the same year.
How to recognize it
John Reich's Liberty faces left in a cloth cap with a band inscribed LIBERTY, surrounded by stars with the date below. The reverse shows an eagle with a shield on its breast and the value 50 C. (later 50 CENTS and HALF DOL.). Coins to 1836 have a lettered edge; later coins are reeded and slightly smaller. Hundreds of die marriages make this a favorite series for variety specialists.
Mintage chart
Specifications
| Series | Capped Bust Half Dollar (1807–1839) |
|---|---|
| Year | 1836 |
| Mint | Philadelphia Mint |
| Mint mark | None |
| Strike type | Circulation strike |
| Mintage | 6,545,000 |
| Face value | 50¢ |
| Composition | 89.24% silver, 10.76% copper |
| Weight | 13.48 grams |
| Diameter | 32.5 mm (lettered edge); 30 mm (reeded edge) |
| Edge | Lettered to 1836, then reeded |
| Silver content | 0.3868 troy oz (12.030 g) |
| Designer | John Reich; reeded-edge version by Christian Gobrecht |
Other 1836 Capped Bust Half Dollar issues
| Coin | Mintage | Type | Silver |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1836 Capped Bust Half Dollar, Lettered Edge | 6,545,000 | Circulation strike | 0.3868 oz |
| 1836 Capped Bust Half Dollar, Reeded Edge | 1,200 | Circulation strike | 0.3866 oz |
Mintage: United States half dollar mintage figures (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0), compiled from US Mint records and the Guide Book of United States Coins. How we build these pages.