1825 1/2C, BN XF45BN Certification #32742632, PCGS #1141

Ron Guth

The 1825 Half Cent has a low mintage of 63,000 pieces, a figure that is just slightly lower than that of the more highly valued 1811.  Two die varieties are known for this year, both sharing the same reverse, but with different obverses.  The difference between the two obverses is slight and relates mainly to the position of the 5 of the date relative to the lowest hair curl.  Some 1825 Half Cents (mostly of the Cohen 1 variety) have a curious edge bump that appears to have been caused when the metal from the planchet flowed into a tiny gap in the collar.  The "bump" appears in various positions around the edge of different 1825 Half Cents, indicating that the collar rotated as the coins were being struck.

Decades ago, when I collected Half Cents by variety, I purchased as many 1825 Half Cents as I could find and afford.  I eventually had a "roll" of forty pieces, which I sold intact at the 1982 ANA Convention in Boston.