1817 US Coins: Values & Mintages

US coinage in 1817

Some 1817 cents were struck from a die with 15 stars around Liberty instead of the usual 13, an engraving mistake that is now a popular variety.

The Mint in the 1810s

War with Britain from 1812 to 1815 cut off imports of copper planchets and cent production stopped once stocks ran out in 1814. No cents are dated 1815. A fire in January 1816 damaged the Mint's machinery, which is why no half dollars are dated 1816 and output of other coins stayed low for a time.

After the war, banks and merchants needed coin again. The Mint resumed cents with the Coronet design in 1816 and brought back the quarter dollar with the Capped Bust design in 1815. Gold coins remained undervalued against silver and most were exported soon after striking, so few survive from this period.

How many coins were made in 1817

Counting the circulation issues on this page, US mints struck 5,163,964 coins dated 1817 across 2 issues. That is 83% more than in 1816 (2,820,982). In 1818 the figure rose to 5,488,496.

No earlier year on our list comes close: it was the largest output up to that point.

Every circulation coin on this page came from Philadelphia.

Those coins held about 470,132 troy ounces of pure silver.

1817 coins by denomination

Cents: 3,948,400 struck in 1 circulation issue of the Coronet (Matron Head) Large Cent, up 40% on 1816.

Half Dollars: 1,215,564 struck in 1 circulation issue of the Capped Bust Half Dollar.

Every 1817 circulation issue at a glance

• 1817 Capped Bust Half Dollar: 1,215,564 struck, 9th lowest of 35 in the series, up from 47,150 in 1815.
• 1817 Coronet (Matron Head) Large Cent: 3,948,400 struck, more than 87% of the series' 24 issues, up from 2,820,982 in 1816.

Coronet (Matron Head) Large Cent: Postwar recovery and the Randall Hoard

With the war over and copper flowing again, the Mint introduced Robert Scot's Coronet design in 1816 and coined 2.8 million cents that year. Output stayed strong through 1820, when it reached 4.4 million. Interesting dies from these years include the 1817 with 15 stars, the 1819/8 overdate and the 1820/19 overdate. Proof cents also begin to appear in very small numbers from 1817.

These dates are easier to find in mint state than almost any other early cent, thanks to the Randall Hoard, a group of several thousand uncirculated cents discovered in Georgia after the Civil War. Most were dated 1818 and 1820, with smaller numbers from 1816, 1817 and 1819. Hoard coins usually show red and brown color with spotting and often some flecks. Circulated coins from these years tend to have better copper than the Classic Heads, giving smoother brown surfaces.

See every Coronet (Matron Head) Large Cent →

Capped Bust Half Dollar: The 1815/2 and a run of overdates

Only 47,150 halves bear the 1815 date and all of them are overdates over a 2. A fire at the Mint in January 1816 damaged the rolling mill. No halves are dated 1816. The 1815/2 is the key date of the whole Capped Bust half series and is scarce in every grade. Most survivors show heavy wear.

Production resumed in 1817 and passed two million by 1819. The 1817/3 and the very rare 1817/4 head a long list of overdates that includes 1818/7, 1819/8, 1820/19, 1822/1 and 1824/1. The 1817 punctuated date shows a dot-like die flaw between 181 and 7. Many coins of this era show cracked dies or repunched letters, a sign that dies were kept in service as long as possible.

See every Capped Bust Half Dollar →