1793 United States 1/2 penny Value
In the current market, a 1793 United States 1/2 penny changes hands for roughly its melt value at the low end and well into four figures at the top. Exceptional, certified pieces regularly exceed the top of that range.
1793 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.
What is the 1793 United States 1/2 penny selling for today?
Pricing for the 1793 United States 1/2 penny depends on grade and current collector demand.
1793 United States 1/2 penny specifications
- Series
- United States Coinage
- Year
- 1793
- Mint mark
- None (Philadelphia)
- Mintage
- Not recorded
- Composition
- Lead
- Weight
- 12.131 g
- Diameter
- 30 mm
No mint mark? Here is why
Philadelphia struck the 1793 United States 1/2 penny, and Philadelphia coins of this period carry no mint mark at all. An empty space at the usual mint mark position (see the series guide) confirms a Philadelphia strike, not a flaw.
What makes the 1793 United States 1/2 penny valuable
The 1793 United States 1/2 penny lacks precise production records, so its value rests on demonstrated rarity: how often examples surface at auction and how they compare to documented specimens.
There is history in a 1793 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.
1793 United States 1/2 penny inscriptions & design
Obverse
WASHINGTON PRESIDENT
Bust in military unifrom, L
Reverse
HALF PENNY 1793
Sailing ship R
Measured 1793 United States 1/2 penny specimens
8 physically measured 1793 United States 1/2 penny examples in our reference database. Real measured weights and die axes let you authenticate a coin against the 12.131 g, 30 mm minting standard.
| Specimen | Weight | Diameter | Die axis | References |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1793 United States 1/2 penny #1 | 10.341 g | - | 6 h | Breen 1226 (fake), Baker 18 (fake) |
| 1793 United States 1/2 penny #2 | 12.131 g | - | 6 h | Breen 1226 (fake), Baker 18 (fake) |
| 1793 United States 1/2 penny #3 | 13.053 g | - | 6 h | Breen 1225 (fake), Baker 18 (fake) |
| 1793 United States 1/2 penny #4 | 11.513 g | - | 6 h | Breen 1226 (fake), Baker 18 (fake) |
| 1793 United States 1/2 penny #5 | 11.547 g | - | 6 h | Breen 1226 (fake), Baker 18 (fake) |
| 1793 United States 1/2 penny #6 | 15.25 g | 30 mm | - | B.18 |
| 1793 United States 1/2 penny #7 | 13.33 g | 28 mm | - | B.18 |
| 1793 United States 1/2 penny #8 | 12.86 g | 30 mm | 6 h | - |
Specifications compiled from documented museum specimens. See our data & methodology page.