1803 United States 1/2 cent Value

Expect a 1803 United States 1/2 cent to trade between about its melt value and well into four figures, driven almost entirely by grade. The figures below break the range down grade by grade.

Public domain image (struck or printed before 1926). Click to enlarge.

1803 United States 1/2 cent value by grade

1803 United States 1/2 cent 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 1803 United States 1/2 cent worth right now?

Pricing for the 1803 United States 1/2 cent depends on grade and current collector demand.

1803 United States 1/2 cent specifications

Series
United States Coinage
Year
1803
Mint mark
None (Philadelphia)
Mintage
Not recorded
Composition
Copper

Why this coin has no mint mark

The 1803 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 1803, that is exactly as it should be.

What makes the 1803 United States 1/2 cent valuable

For the 1803 United States 1/2 cent, surviving examples tell the story that mint records do not. Museum-documented specimens define the issue for collectors.

Context adds the final layer to the 1803 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.

1803 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 1803 United States 1/2 cent specimens

7 physically measured 1803 United States 1/2 cent examples in our reference database. Real measured weights and die axes let you authenticate a coin against the g, mm minting standard.

Measured 1803 United States 1/2 cent specimens
SpecimenWeightDiameterDie axisReferences
1803 United States 1/2 cent #1---Gilbert.1803.2, Breen.1534
1803 United States 1/2 cent #2---Gilbert.1803.4, Breen.1534
1803 United States 1/2 cent #3---Gilbert.1803.3, Breen.1535
1803 United States 1/2 cent #4---Gilbert.1803.2, Breen.1534
1803 United States 1/2 cent #5---Gilbert.1803.1, Breen.1536
1803 United States 1/2 cent #6---Gilbert.1803.4, Breen.1534
1803 United States 1/2 cent #7---Gilbert.1803.v, Breen.1535

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