Half Cent 1853

Nice example with no distractions. Part of the Gallery's 1853 Year set. These were a low mintage series but this year had 129,694 minted, much higher than any other year except 1851.
Our smallest the USA's half cent seems to be a trivial amount, when it was introduced it had the purchasing power of the modern dime. It was also useful for transactions involving Spanish-American coins valued at 12½ cents, which circulated in the United States until the 1850s. However, the large coin—almost the size of today’s quarter—was unpopular, and it was issued sporadically and in small quantities. The Coinage Act of 1857, which replaced the 1-cent piece with a smaller version, marked the half cent’s official end.