Flowing Hair Half Dollar

Flowing Hair Half Dollars (1794–1795)

The Flowing Hair Half Dollar, struck in 1794 and 1795, represents the first half-dollar design issued by the United States Mint. Designed by Chief Engraver Robert Scot, these early American silver coins were produced during the formative years of the Philadelphia Mint and remain an important part of American numismatic history.

The Flowing Hair design was used for just two years before being replaced by the Draped Bust Half Dollar in 1796. Today, surviving examples are collected for their historical significance, rarity, and connection to the earliest years of federal silver coinage.

History of the Flowing Hair Half Dollar

The United States Mint began producing copper Half Cents and Large Cents in 1793. Silver coinage followed in 1794, with the introduction of the Flowing Hair Half Dime, Half Dollar, and Silver Dollar.

Robert Scot, appointed Chief Engraver in 1793, developed a design featuring Liberty with flowing hair on the obverse and a small eagle surrounded by a wreath on the reverse. The design reflected the young nation's effort to establish a distinctive American coinage.

The 1794 Flowing Hair Half Dollar had a reported mintage of just 23,464 coins. Production increased substantially in 1795, when approximately 299,680 examples were struck. Despite the larger second-year mintage, surviving coins from both dates are scarce, particularly in higher grades.

Flowing Hair Half Dollar Design

The obverse features a portrait of Liberty facing right, with her hair flowing behind her. The inscription LIBERTY appears above the portrait, surrounded by fifteen stars representing the states in the Union at the time. The date is positioned beneath Liberty.

The reverse depicts a small eagle with outstretched wings, enclosed within a wreath, with UNITED STATES OF AMERICA surrounding the design.

Unlike later half dollars, the Flowing Hair Half Dollar does not display its denomination on either the obverse or reverse. Instead, the lettered edge reads FIFTY CENTS OR HALF A DOLLAR, identifying the coin's value.

Collecting Certified Flowing Hair Half Dollars

Flowing Hair Half Dollars are among the earliest federal silver coins available to collectors. With only two dates in the series, collecting often centers on the differences between individual die varieties, preservation, strike quality, and surviving populations.

Examples authenticated and graded by PCGS, NGC, and CACG, along with CAC-approved coins, provide collectors with professionally evaluated examples of this historic early American silver series.

The limited production period, early Mint craftsmanship, and historical importance of the Flowing Hair Half Dollar make it a distinctive series within rare U.S. coin collecting.