U.S. Mint coin reference
Obverse: Liberty faces left with loose hair and a liberty cap suspended from a pole behind her portrait. LIBERTY is above and 1793 below.
Reverse: A wreath surrounds HALF CENT, the fraction 1/200 appears below, and UNITED STATES OF AMERICA follows the rim. The edge reads TWO HUNDRED FOR A DOLLAR.
The Philadelphia Mint began half-cent production in July 1793. This left-facing Liberty Cap portrait appeared only on that year’s coinage; the next half cents, dated 1794, introduced Robert Scot’s right-facing version.
Mint records traditionally report 35,334 pieces, although researchers have questioned whether that figure includes 3,400 coins delivered under circumstances that may belong to another issue. A yellow-fever epidemic soon interrupted Philadelphia operations and limited the Mint’s first season.
Two obverse dies and three reverse dies were combined into four varieties cataloged in the Cohen system. The position of Liberty’s head, the shape and spacing of the date, and reverse lettering identify the pairings; all retain the heavy 6.74-gram standard and lettered edge of the original issue.