1796 Draped Bust Half Dollar
Circulation strike struck at the Philadelphia Mint · 3,918 made
- Mintage
- 3,918
- Metal
- 89.24% silver, 10.76% copper
- Weight
- 13.48 g
- Diameter
- 32.5 mm
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 a 1796 Draped Bust Half Dollar worth?
Few coins in the series are harder to find. Even a worn 1796 sells well above face value. The flip side is that counterfeits and altered dates are common, so authentication matters.
What would make yours worth more:
- Uncirculated condition with full original luster
- A die variety or minting error
- Certification by PCGS or NGC, which buyers expect for scarce dates
For market prices, check recent sold results for certified coins in the same grade.
Quick answers
- Is the 1796 Draped Bust Half Dollar rare?
- Yes. Only 3,918 were made, the lowest of any regular Draped Bust Half Dollar.
- Is the 1796 Draped Bust Half Dollar 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 a 1796 Draped Bust Half Dollar?
- No mint mark. Struck in Philadelphia.
- How many 1796 Draped Bust Half Dollar coins were made?
- 3,918.
What to check on your 1796
- There's no mint mark on this one, so the date and condition are what matter.
- Check the date and mint mark under magnification for tooling or added letters. Scarce dates are the ones forgers alter.
- 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. Check the hair, drapery and eagle's feathers. Original surfaces are rare and valuable.
Never clean it. Collectors pay strong premiums for original surfaces and natural toning on a date like this. A cleaned coin can lose half its value or more. Low-mintage dates attract altered and counterfeit coins. Check that the date have not been tooled or added, or buy one already certified by PCGS or NGC.
The story of the 1796
1796 was the first year of the Draped Bust Half Dollar. Philadelphia struck 3,918 of them. After that, Philadelphia didn't make another until 1801.
No other mint struck it for circulation that year, so every 1796 you find is from Philadelphia. In the whole series, its mintage sits closest to the 1802 (29,890) and the 1801 (30,289).
Of the 7 Draped Bust Half Dollars Philadelphia struck between 1796 and 1807, this is the scarcest.
Small eagle halves of 1796 and 1797 (1796 to 1800)
The Draped Bust half dollar appeared in 1796 with the small eagle reverse used on other silver of the time. Only about 3,918 were struck across 1796 and 1797, making it one of the great rarities among early silver type coins. Coins of 1796 show either 15 or 16 stars on the obverse, the extra star added for Tennessee's statehood, while 1797 has 15.
The denomination appears as the fraction 1/2 below the wreath on the reverse. No half dollars were made from 1798 through 1800 while depositors chose dollars for their silver. Surviving 1796 and 1797 halves are usually worn, holed or repaired. Even damaged pieces are eagerly collected because the type is so scarce. Counterfeits exist, so authentication by a grading service is wise before buying one.
Elsewhere in US coinage in 1796
The first quarter dollars, dimes and $2.50 quarter eagles were struck in 1796, completing the denominations authorized by the Coinage Act of 1792. The Draped Bust design reached the cent and the smaller silver coins the same year.
How to recognize it
Liberty faces right with a ribbon in her hair and a drape across her bust, with LIBERTY above, stars around and the date below. The first coins of 1796 and 1797 show a small eagle inside a wreath; from 1801 the reverse shows a heraldic eagle with a shield on its breast. The edge is lettered FIFTY CENTS OR HALF A DOLLAR.
Mintage chart
Specifications
| Series | Draped Bust Half Dollar (1796–1807) |
|---|---|
| Year | 1796 |
| Mint | Philadelphia Mint |
| Mint mark | None |
| Strike type | Circulation strike |
| Mintage | 3,918 |
| Face value | 50¢ |
| Composition | 89.24% silver, 10.76% copper |
| Weight | 13.48 grams |
| Diameter | 32.5 mm |
| Edge | Lettered |
| Silver content | 0.3868 troy oz (12.030 g) |
| Designer | Robert Scot |
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.