Draped Bust Half Cent:

During the years 1798 and 1799, no Half Cents were struck. In 1800, a newly-designed Half Cent entered circulation. The design was of Miss Liberty wearing drapery and facing right. The designer again was Robert Scot, and the portrait was influenced by Gilbert Stuart, the famed American artist, whose most famous work is undoubtedly the unfinished portrait of George Washington.

The new 1800-dated Half Cent had this new Draped Bust image of Miss Liberty, facing right, with the word “LIBERTY” above her head and the date “1800” below her bust. The reverse design did not change from the previous Liberty Cap design, as it had the words “HALF CENT” in the center of the coin, in 2 lines, a wreath surrounding the denomination, the words “UNITED STATES OF AMERICA” surmounting the wreath and the denomination of “1/200” below the center of the wreath. These coins were struck through 1808.

There are numerous varieties and overdates in this series – one of the most notable is the 1804 “spiked Chin” variety where it appears that a pointed spike is protruding out of Miss Liberty’s chin. This was caused by a foreign object sticking to the die causing what looked like a spike to be coming out of her chin.