1833 United States 1/2 cent Value

Today a 1833 United States 1/2 cent typically sells for its melt value to well into four figures, with condition doing most of the work. Where your coin lands depends on wear, strike and surface quality.

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

1833 United States 1/2 cent value by grade

1833 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 1833 United States 1/2 cent worth today?

The market for the 1833 United States 1/2 cent is driven by condition above all.

1833 United States 1/2 cent specifications

Series
United States Coinage
Year
1833
Mint mark
None (Philadelphia)
Mintage
Not recorded
Composition
Copper
Weight
5.45 g
Diameter
23 mm

The missing mint mark, explained

The 1833 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 1833, that is exactly as it should be.

What makes the 1833 United States 1/2 cent valuable

There is history in a 1833 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.

Documented examples of the 1833 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.

1833 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 1833 United States 1/2 cent specimens

4 physically measured 1833 United States 1/2 cent examples in our reference database. Real measured weights and die axes let you authenticate a coin against the 5.45 g, 23 mm minting standard.

Measured 1833 United States 1/2 cent specimens
SpecimenWeightDiameterDie axisReferences
1833 United States 1/2 cent #15.45 g23 mm6 hCohen.1-A, Breen.Encyclopedia.1573, Gilbert.1
1833 United States 1/2 cent #2---Gilbert.1833.1, Breen.1573
1833 United States 1/2 cent #3---Gilbert.1833.1, Breen.1573
1833 United States 1/2 cent #4-23 mm6 hBE.1573

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