1809 United States 1/2 cent Value

A 1809 United States 1/2 cent is worth roughly its melt value to well into four figures depending on its condition. Certified examples in top grades can run far higher.

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

1809 United States 1/2 cent value by grade

1809 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.

How much is a 1809 United States 1/2 cent worth today?

Pricing for the 1809 United States 1/2 cent depends on grade and current collector demand.

1809 United States 1/2 cent specifications

Series
United States Coinage
Year
1809
Mint mark
None (Philadelphia)
Mintage
Not recorded
Composition
Copper

No mint mark? Here is why

Philadelphia struck the 1809 United States 1/2 cent, 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.

Why the 1809 United States 1/2 cent is worth money

Documented examples of the 1809 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.

There is history in a 1809 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.

1809 United States 1/2 cent inscriptions & design

Obverse

LIBERTY [on head band] / (date)

Liberty bust left, surrounded by 13 stars

Reverse

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA / HALF / CENT

Value in wreath

Measured 1809 United States 1/2 cent specimens

6 physically measured 1809 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 1809 United States 1/2 cent specimens
SpecimenWeightDiameterDie axisReferences
1809 United States 1/2 cent #1---Gilbert.1809.2, Breen.1557
1809 United States 1/2 cent #2---Gilbert.1809.5, Breen.1558
1809 United States 1/2 cent #3---Gilbert.1809.2, Breen.1557
1809 United States 1/2 cent #4---Gilbert.1809.4, Breen.1557
1809 United States 1/2 cent #5---Gilbert.1809.1, Breen.1555
1809 United States 1/2 cent #6---Gilbert.1809.3, Breen.1556

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