1778 United States 1/2 penny Value
A 1778 United States 1/2 penny is worth roughly its melt value to well into four figures depending on its condition. Certified examples in top grades can run far higher.
Public domain image (struck or printed before 1926). Click to enlarge.
1778 United States 1/2 penny value by grade
| Grade | Estimated value |
|---|
Estimated retail range. Estimates are modeled from mintage rarity and metal content, not auction records. Actual sale prices vary with certification, eye appeal and market timing.
Current 1778 United States 1/2 penny value
The market for the 1778 United States 1/2 penny is driven by condition above all.
1778 United States 1/2 penny specifications
- Series
- United States Coinage
- Year
- 1778
- Mint mark
- None (Philadelphia)
- Mintage
- Not recorded
- Composition
- Copper
- Weight
- 6.158 g
- Diameter
- 28 mm
The missing mint mark, explained
The 1778 United States 1/2 penny comes from Philadelphia, which struck coins without a mint mark. If the spot where branch-mint coins show a letter is empty on your 1778, that is exactly as it should be.
Why the 1778 United States 1/2 penny is worth money
For the 1778 United States 1/2 penny, surviving examples tell the story that mint records do not. Museum-documented specimens define the issue for collectors.
Context adds the final layer to the 1778 United States 1/2 penny. Documented United States coin types preserved in museum collections, with measured specifications for each date, denomination and mint. Owning this date means owning a piece of that story, and demand for the series as a whole sustains liquidity for every issue in it.
1778 United States 1/2 penny inscriptions & design
Obverse
GEORGIVS III REX
bust laurel. cuir. r.
Reverse
BRITANNIA
Britannia std. l.
Measured 1778 United States 1/2 penny specimens
3 physically measured 1778 United States 1/2 penny examples in our reference database. Real measured weights and die axes let you authenticate a coin against the 6.158 g, 28 mm minting standard.
| Specimen | Weight | Diameter | Die axis | References |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1778 United States 1/2 penny #1 | 5.77 g | 28 mm | - | Seaby.3774, Breen.994 |
| 1778 United States 1/2 penny #2 | 7.43 g | 28 mm | - | Seaby.3774, Breen.993 |
| 1778 United States 1/2 penny #3 | 6.158 g | 28 mm | - | Seaby.3774, Breen.993 |
Specifications compiled from documented museum specimens. See our data & methodology page.