U.S. Half-Dime Coins

U.S. Half Dimes were the first silver coins struck by the United States Mint and served as an essential small-denomination coin in early American commerce. Issued in several classic designs featuring Liberty and, later, an eagle or wreath reverse, the half dime circulated widely for nearly 80 years. As industrial metal production improved, the thicker copper-nickel five-cent coin eventually replaced it, leading to the half dime’s discontinuation in 1873. Today, half dimes represent an important bridge between early federal silver coinage and the modern nickel.