1785 United States 1/2 penny Value

Today a 1785 United States 1/2 penny typically sells for its melt value to well into four figures, with condition doing most of the work. Certified examples in top grades can run far higher.

1785COINCOIN
Illustrative rendering. Photographs of this date are being added.

1785 United States 1/2 penny value by grade

1785 United States 1/2 penny value by grade
GradeEstimated 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.

What is a 1785 United States 1/2 penny worth right now?

The market for the 1785 United States 1/2 penny is driven by condition above all.

1785 United States 1/2 penny specifications

Series
United States Coinage
Year
1785
Mint mark
None (Philadelphia)
Mintage
Not recorded
Composition
Copper
Weight
7.5489 g
Diameter
27.6 mm

The missing mint mark, explained

Look for a letter and you will not find one. The 1785 United States 1/2 penny is a Philadelphia product, and the main mint did not sign its work at this time.

What makes the 1785 United States 1/2 penny valuable

There is history in a 1785 United States Coinage as well. Documented United States coin types preserved in museum collections, with measured specifications for each date, denomination and mint. That backdrop keeps the series among the most actively collected in American numismatics.

Official mintage figures for the 1785 United States 1/2 penny are not well established. The museum-documented specimens behind our specifications provide the physical reference points for the issue, and the market prices it on observed scarcity.

1785 United States 1/2 penny inscriptions & design

Obverse

Immune Columbia / 1785

Seated Liberty, pole and pileus in right hand, scales in left hand

Reverse

Georgivs III Rx

George III bust r.

Measured 1785 United States 1/2 penny specimens

1 physically measured 1785 United States 1/2 penny example in our reference database. Real measured weights and die axes let you authenticate a coin against the 7.5489 g, 27.6 mm minting standard.

Measured 1785 United States 1/2 penny specimens
SpecimenWeightDiameterDie axisReferences
1785 United States 1/2 penny #17.5489 g27.6 mm6 h-

Specifications compiled from documented museum specimens. See our data & methodology page.