1792 half disme
Illustration — Obverse and reverse of the half disme The 1792 half disme (or) is an American silver coin with a face value of five cents (U.S. dollar) which was minted in 1792. Although it is subject to debate as to whether this was intended to be circulating coinage or instead an experimental issue, President George Washington referred to it as "a small beginning" and many of the coins eventually were released into circulation. It is widely (although not universally) considered the first United States coinage struck under authority of the Coinage Act of 1792.
1792 half disme
Adam Eckfeldt (probably) for coin, Wehwalt for image · Photo taken of coin · Public domain
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- half dime
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Illustration — Obverse and reverse of the half disme The 1792 half disme (or) is an American silver coin with a face value of five cents (U.S. dollar) which was minted in 1792. Although it is subject to debate as to whether this was intended to be circulating coinage or instead an experimental issue, President George Washington referred to it as "a small beginning" and many of the coins eventually were released into circulation. It is widely (although not universally) considered the first United States coinage struck under authority of the Coinage Act of 1792.
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In this article
Origins
Origins
When speaking to the House of Representatives in November 1792, President Washington mentioned the "want of small coins in circulation" and stated that he had begun work on establishing a U.S. Mint and that some half dismes had been produced already. At this point, most of the personnel had been hired, but the Mint's buildings and machinery were not yet ready. As a result, the half dismes, which had been struck in or around July 1792, were produced using the private facilities of local craftsman John Harper, although under the auspices of official Mint personnel. In his personal log book, Secretary of State Thomas Jefferson recorded the receipt of 1,500 specimens on July 13. Because of President Washington's connection with these early coins, numismatic folklore holds that the portrait on the obverse is that of First Lady Martha Washington and that some of the coins were struck using melted-down silverware from the Washington household. However, there is no solid evidence for either of these assertions. To the contrary, evidence uncovered from Thomas Jefferson's memorandum book shows that he provided "75 (Mexican) Silver Dollars" and received the first 1,500 half dismes. He then spent those coins on his trip home to Monticello.
Production, rarity, and value
Production, rarity, and value
Although the exact number is not known, it is believed that between 2,000 and 3,500 specimens were produced. Approximately 10% of these survive today; one expert estimated between 250 and 400 half dismes exist, and most appear to have been used in circulation for some time. A 1792 half disme graded AU55 by PCGS was auctioned for $138,000 on July 23, 2004. A 1792 half disme graded MS65 was valued in 2018 on the American reality television series Pawn Stars at $500,000–600,000. A specimen strike from the Starr collection, graded MS67 by PCGS, sold for $1,322,500 on April 26, 2006. The highest numerically graded piece, an NGC MS68, sold for $1,500,000 by private treaty transaction in 2007. Although nearly all 1792 half dismes were produced in a silver alloy, a unique pattern piece in copper is also known.
Description
The coin is in diameter. The obverse depicts the head of Liberty and the inscription LIB. PAR. OF SCIENCE & INDUSTRY, "Liberty, parent of Science and Industry." The reverse shows UNI. STATES OF AMERICA and HALF DISME along with an eagle and a star.
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Notes from the source article
These works are cited by the source article, in its own numbering. They are recorded as its citations, not as sources VALÉORINE has verified.
- 1.Malone, Daniel. 1792 Half Disme (Deem) First Coin US Coin Image, Facts. coinauctionshelp.com. 2011.
- 2.Half Dimes.
- 3.1792 Half Disme SP67 PCGS, sold for $1,322,500. April 26, 2006.
- 4.Forged in Philadelphia - Museum of the American Revolution.
- 5.1792 Half Disme (Deem) First Coin US Coin Image, Facts. coinauctionshelp.com.
- 6.Stack's, LLC. 1792 half disme. Judd-7, Pollock-7. Rarity-4. Stack's: Rare Coins for Sale: Numismatic Auctions. 2004.
- 7.Smith, Pete. A More Accurate History of the 1792 Half Disme. blog.money.org. July 14, 2020.
- 8.American Numismatic Rarities, LLC. The Oliver Jung Collection. July 23, 2004.
- 9.Pawn Stars. Pawn Stars - Youtube. 2018.
- 10.Finest Known 1792 Half Disme To Be Displayed.
Bibliography printed in the source article · 2
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 16 August 2026.
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