Flowing Hair Half Dollar Values & Mintages

Grading tips

Hair detail above the forehead and the eagle's breast feathers are key. Adjustment marks are original to manufacture.

Why silver coinage waited until 1794

The Mint was founded in 1792 but struck no silver for general circulation until late 1794. The Coinage Act required the chief coiner and the assayer to post large personal bonds before they could handle precious metal. The men appointed could not raise the sums. Congress lowered the requirement in 1794. Silver dollars followed in October and the first half dollars were delivered in December of that year.

Silver came from depositors, usually banks and merchants who brought foreign coins and plate to be melted and coined. Because the Mint returned coins only on request, production reflected what depositors wanted. That explains why the 1794 half had a mintage of only about 23,000 while the 1795 was struck in much larger numbers.

The fineness controversy

The law set American silver at about 89.24% fine. In practice the Mint's officers found that standard awkward and made the earliest silver coins at about 90%. That gave the public slightly more silver than the law required, but it meant depositors received less coin than they were owed for their metal. Complaints followed and the problem helped prompt a review of Mint operations. Collectors today cannot see the difference, but it is part of why these first coins are studied so closely.

Design and edge lettering

Robert Scot's Flowing Hair portrait shows Liberty with loose hair streaming behind her, surrounded by fifteen stars for the states then in the Union. The reverse shows a small eagle with spread wings inside a wreath of laurel. There is no denomination on either face. The value appears on the edge, which reads FIFTY CENTS OR HALF A DOLLAR with ornaments between the words.

The edge was lettered before striking by a separate machine that rolled each blank between two bars carrying the inscription. This explains why edge lettering sometimes overlaps or shows doubled letters, which are normal features rather than damage.

Varieties in a two-year series

Despite lasting only two years, the Flowing Hair half has dozens of die marriages, especially for 1795. Collectors attribute them by Overton numbers. Popular varieties include the 1795 Small Head, with a noticeably smaller portrait. Others have two or three leaves under each of the eagle's wings. Recut dates, where the engraver punched a numeral twice, are also common.

Because the 1794 is the key date, have any example authenticated before buying. Worn dates are easy to misread and the difference between the two years matters a great deal to collectors.

Buying a Flowing Hair half dollar

Most surviving coins are well worn. Typical examples grade Good to Very Fine and many have problems such as holes, plugs, scratches, graffiti or old cleaning. Coins with natural, even gray toning and no repairs are the most desirable at any grade. Look at the fields near the top of the obverse for signs of a filled hole, which often shows as a small patch with different texture or color.

Counterfeits exist, including cast copies with grainy surfaces and soft lettering. Check the weight against the 13.48 gram standard, examine the edge lettering for sharpness and buy rare examples certified by a major grading service.

The press that struck the first halves

In 1794 the Mint's largest coining press was sized for half dollars. It struggled with the bigger silver dollar, which is why many 1794 dollars are weakly struck on one side. The half dollar fitted the press better, so 1794 and 1795 halves usually show fuller detail than the dollars of the same years. The Flowing Hair design gave way to the Draped Bust in 1796, though the Mint struck no new halves until that design was ready.

Frequently asked questions