Coin specifications and design
Design identification
U.S. Mint coin reference
1840–1857: Braided Hair Half Cent
1840–1857: Braided Hair Half Cent history
1840–1857: Braided Hair Half Cent is the last regular half-cent design. Proof-only dates begin in 1840, while circulation production resumed in 1849 and continued through 1857.
That proof and business-strike distinction is more informative than treating 1840–1857 as continuous circulation coinage. The 5.44-gram copper standard, plain edge, braided portrait, and reverse fraction identify the type.