The Flowing Hair half dollar
The first half dollar struck by the United States, and a coin that is collected as an artefact rather than as silver. Survivors are scarce in any grade.
| Years | Alloy | Weight | Silver | At spot |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1794-1795 | 89.24% silver | 13.48 g | 0.3868 ozt | $26.35 |
The design
Designed by Robert Scot. The obverse shows Liberty facing right with loose flowing hair; the reverse shows a small eagle within a wreath. The coin measures 32.5mm across.
Finding the mint mark
None. Philadelphia was the only mint.
Mint marks matter more than most people expect: the same date from a different mint can be a common coin or a scarce one. What each letter means.
Dates in this series
This series predates the 1892 start of our date-by-date pages. Early half dollars are collected as rarities rather than as silver, and a melt figure is rarely the right way to think about a coin worth several hundred dollars or more. Why the date pages start where they do.