1788 United States 1/2 cent Value
The 1788 United States 1/2 cent carries a current retail range of about its melt value to well into four figures across circulated and Mint State grades. Where your coin lands depends on wear, strike and surface quality.
Public domain image (struck or printed before 1926). Click to enlarge.
1788 United States 1/2 cent 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.
What is the 1788 United States 1/2 cent selling for today?
Pricing for the 1788 United States 1/2 cent depends on grade and current collector demand.
1788 United States 1/2 cent specifications
- Series
- United States Coinage
- Year
- 1788
- Mint mark
- None (Philadelphia)
- Mintage
- Not recorded
- Composition
- Copper
- Weight
- 6.54 g
- Diameter
- 24 mm
Reading a coin with no mint mark
The 1788 United States 1/2 cent comes from Philadelphia, which struck coins without a mint mark. If the spot where branch-mint coins show a letter is empty on your 1788, that is exactly as it should be.
Why the 1788 United States 1/2 cent is worth money
Without a firm mintage figure, the 1788 United States 1/2 cent trades on what actually turns up. Documented museum specimens give collectors a benchmark for authenticity and typical preservation.
There is history in a 1788 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.
1788 United States 1/2 cent inscriptions & design
Obverse
COMMON ★ / WEALTH
Native American standing left, holding bow and arrow
Reverse
MASSACHUSETTS. / HALF / CENT [on shield] / 1788
Eagle with shield, holding olive branch and arrows
Measured 1788 United States 1/2 cent specimens
11 physically measured 1788 United States 1/2 cent examples in our reference database. Real measured weights and die axes let you authenticate a coin against the 6.54 g, 24 mm minting standard.
| Specimen | Weight | Diameter | Die axis | References |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1788 United States 1/2 cent #1 | 4.98 g | 24 mm | - | Ryder.1-B, Breen.973, Whitman.6010 |
| 1788 United States 1/2 cent #2 | 6.54 g | 24 mm | - | Ryder.1-A, Breen.973, Whitman.6000 |
| 1788 United States 1/2 cent #3 | 4.64 g | 24 mm | - | Ryder.1-A, Breen.973, Whitman.6000 |
| 1788 United States 1/2 cent #4 | 4.94 g | 24 mm | - | Ryder.1-B, Breen.973, Whitman.6010 |
| 1788 United States 1/2 cent #5 | 5.44 g | 24 mm | - | Ryder.1-B, Breen.973, Whitman.6010 |
| 1788 United States 1/2 cent #6 | 6.785 g | - | 6 h | Breen.973 (fake), Ryder.1-B (fake), Whitman.6010 |
| 1788 United States 1/2 cent #7 | 7.388 g | - | 6 h | Breen.973 (fake) |
| 1788 United States 1/2 cent #8 | 7.47 g | 23 mm | - | Breen.973 (fake) |
| 1788 United States 1/2 cent #9 | 7.37 g | - | - | Ryder.1-A (fake), Breen.973 (fake), Whitman.6000 (fake) |
| 1788 United States 1/2 cent #10 | - | 24 mm | - | Breen.973 (fake), Ryder.1-B (fake), Whitman.6010 (fake) |
| 1788 United States 1/2 cent #11 | 6.732 g | - | 6 h | Breen.973 (fake) |
Specifications compiled from documented museum specimens. See our data & methodology page.