1788 United States 1/2 penny Value
Expect a 1788 United States 1/2 penny to trade between about its melt value and well into four figures, driven almost entirely by grade. 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 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.
Today's value of the 1788 United States 1/2 penny
Pricing for the 1788 United States 1/2 penny depends on grade and current collector demand.
1788 United States 1/2 penny specifications
- Series
- United States Coinage
- Year
- 1788
- Mint mark
- None (Philadelphia)
- Mintage
- Not recorded
- Composition
- Copper
- Weight
- 7.17 g
- Diameter
- 28 mm
Why this coin has no mint mark
The 1788 United States 1/2 penny was struck at the Philadelphia Mint, which used no mint mark in this era. If you find no letter where branch-mint coins carry one (check the usual position for this series), you are holding a Philadelphia issue.
What makes the 1788 United States 1/2 penny valuable
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.
Without a firm mintage figure, the 1788 United States 1/2 penny trades on what actually turns up. Documented museum specimens give collectors a benchmark for authenticity and typical preservation.
1788 United States 1/2 penny inscriptions & design
Obverse
GEORGIVS III REX
bust laurel. cuir. r.
Reverse
BRITANNIA
Britannia std. l.
Measured 1788 United States 1/2 penny specimens
5 physically measured 1788 United States 1/2 penny examples in our reference database. Real measured weights and die axes let you authenticate a coin against the 7.17 g, 28 mm minting standard.
| Specimen | Weight | Diameter | Die axis | References |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1788 United States 1/2 penny #1 | 5.97 g | 28 mm | - | Seaby.3774, Breen.997 |
| 1788 United States 1/2 penny #2 | 7.51 g | 28 mm | - | Seaby.3774, Breen.997 |
| 1788 United States 1/2 penny #3 | 7.17 g | 28 mm | - | Seaby.3774, Breen.997 |
| 1788 United States 1/2 penny #4 | 8.63 g | 28 mm | - | Seaby.3774, Breen.997 |
| 1788 United States 1/2 penny #5 | 6.91 g | 28 mm | - | Seaby.3774, Breen.997, Vlack.23-88A |
Specifications compiled from documented museum specimens. See our data & methodology page.