1802 United States 1/2 cent Value
A 1802 United States 1/2 cent is worth roughly its melt value to well into four figures depending on its condition. The figures below break the range down grade by grade.
Public domain image (struck or printed before 1926). Click to enlarge.
1802 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 a 1802 United States 1/2 cent worth right now?
The market for the 1802 United States 1/2 cent is driven by condition above all.
1802 United States 1/2 cent specifications
- Series
- United States Coinage
- Year
- 1802
- Mint mark
- None (Philadelphia)
- Mintage
- Not recorded
- Composition
- Copper
- Weight
- 6.5 g
Reading a coin with no mint mark
The 1802 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 1802, that is exactly as it should be.
Why the 1802 United States 1/2 cent is worth money
Context adds the final layer to the 1802 United States 1/2 cent. 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.
Documented examples of the 1802 United States 1/2 cent in our reference database anchor what we know about this issue. Mintage records are incomplete, so collector demand and surviving population drive its market.
1802 United States 1/2 cent inscriptions & design
Obverse
LIBERTY / (date)
Draped liberty bust right
Reverse
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA / HALF / CENT / 1/200
Value in wreath
Measured 1802 United States 1/2 cent specimens
3 physically measured 1802 United States 1/2 cent examples in our reference database. Real measured weights and die axes let you authenticate a coin against the 6.5 g, mm minting standard.
| Specimen | Weight | Diameter | Die axis | References |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1802 United States 1/2 cent #1 | - | - | - | Gilbert.1802.1, Breen.1533 |
| 1802 United States 1/2 cent #2 | - | - | - | Gilbert.1802.1, Breen.1533 |
| 1802 United States 1/2 cent #3 | 6.5 g | - | - | Gilbert.1802.1 (fake), Breen.1533electrotype |
Specifications compiled from documented museum specimens. See our data & methodology page.