½ Cent "Draped Bust - Half Cent" (1803) — United States

Overview

A copper ½ Cent standard circulation coin of the United States, known as the Draped Bust Half Cent. The obverse features a draped bust facing right with 'LIBERTY', while the reverse shows the value within a thin wreath. Engraved by Robert Scot and produced at the Philadelphia Mint. This specific variant is noted as: date widely spaced.

Specifications

Country

United States

Year

1803

Composition

Copper

Weight

5.44 g

Diameter

23.5 mm

Mint

United States Mint of Philadelphia

Shape

Round

Technique

Milled

References

KM#33, PCGS#1051-1077, 1081-1083, etc., Greysheet# 465-509, 696-704

Issuer

United States

Design details

Collector insights

• Design heritage: Robert Scot is credited as the designer for the Standard circulation coins series. Designer attribution helps distinguish this issue from later restrikes or unofficial copies that reuse only the motif.
• Struck at: United States Mint of Philadelphia. Confirm the mintmark on your example before comparing prices — same-year issues from different mints often trade at very different levels.
• Low mintage: Only 92,000 pieces reported. This puts the issue into key-date territory for its series; expect steep grade-based price scaling and a higher counterfeit risk — provenance and third-party grading matter.
• Catalogue reference: Listed as KM#33, PCGS#1051-1077, 1081-1083, etc., Greysheet# 465-509, 696-704. Use this reference code when cross-checking auction archives, dealer inventories, and standard printed catalogues.

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