There has been a lot of talk over the past few years about whether or not the Lincoln Cent should continue to be made and used throughout the country. With the coin costing more to make than the face value of the coin, and other countries abandoning the use of a one cent coin, there are many arguments for getting rid of it.
But this article is not about the Lincoln Cent, or even a one cent coin. It is about a coin that was used from 1793-1857 known as the Half Cent.
It seems strange that a coin existed that was half of our smallest denomination of coins now, and the fact that many people wish to do away with a one cent coin makes this fact all the more curious! But when you think about how much further a penny went back then it does make sense.
When the Half Cent was discontinued in 1857 it had more buying power than a dime does today, worth about 14 cents.
There were a few different designs of the half cent over the years such as the Draped Bust Half Cent minted from 1800 to 1808, or the Braided Hair Half Cent minted from 1840 to 1857.
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