1795 Half Cent - 1795 1/2C Lettered Edge PCGS VF35 CAC. Only 14 Lettered Edge 1795 Half Cents (The Little Half Sisters) have been approved by CAC in all grades. Early American copper coins like this one are extremely difficult to find that are original and as pleasing as this coin as evidenced by so few being approved by CAC. Well this one is approved and its  the ONLY ONE  as such in Very Fine 35.

This delightful, eye-appealing 1795 Lettered Edge half cent (The Little Half Sister) has hard, chocolate brown and mahogany fields with lighter brown devices. The coin is completely original and clean for the grade with no notable abrasion marks or other distractions. Unlike many half cents of this date, the dentils are sharp and full, and the hair has significant detail. The CAC sticker indicates that the coin is of premium quality and fully merits the grade assigned.

John Smith Gardner designed the half cent. The obverse shows a bust of Liberty in profile facing right. A Liberty Cap is over her left shoulder with a pole. LIBERTY is in an arc at the top, and the date is below the truncation. The reverse shows two olive branches tied at the bottom with a bow. The wreath formed encloses the denomination, written in two lines HALF CENT. Below the ribbon knot is a fraction 1/200; the legend UNITED STATES OF AMERICA surrounds the wreath. The edge is lettered TWO HUNDRED FOR A DOLLAR.

Smith Gardner was an Assistant Mint Engraver from 1794 to 1796. Very little is known about his personal life. He was never fully commissioned, and it is not known how much engraving work was done by Gardner and how much was Robert Scots. Some researchers feel that Gardner did most of the work during this time. Gardner resigned from the Mint in March 1796 and was rehired for a short time in the summer.

The early Mint in Philadelphia had many challenges. Conditions were poor even at times chaotic. Each of the specialists, the designers, engravers, and press operators were men who had previously worked in other fields. Coin manufacturing was a new trade for them. Production was sporadic. For the new Mint to coin each of the mandated denominations, it took four years. This delay was partly because of inexperience and governmental obstacles. Bonds that were unrealistically high were impediments to engravers working with precious metals. Congress was not united on the need for a government mint since private and foreign coinage seemed to work. Because of the non-existent or low production numbers in the early years of the Mint, foreign copper, silver and gold circulated along with American made coins for many years until they were later demonetized.

Record keeping in the Mints early years was fairly inaccurate. At the end of the eighteenth century Philadelphia had recovered from the British occupation and Revolutionary War. It was the second largest city in the English-speaking world, but it could do nothing to protect its citizens from the mosquito-borne epidemic of yellow fever. Its wealthy citizens went to the countryside to escape, and the poor grimly waited their fate. Of course these annual epidemics caused havoc with all manufacturing that required continuity, such as a coinage sequence. The Mint shut operations during the late summer and early fall every year. In addition to yellow fever, disorder at the Mint was also caused by chronic bullion shortages and coin dies that would wear out and had to be re-engraved because they were not taken out of production until they failed completely. Often dies were locked up and later taken out of storage without great attention and care. There was also a jealous Chief Engraver, Robert Scot, who was in his seventies and had failing eyesight.  

Only 14 Lettered Edge 1795 Half Cents have been approved by CAC in all grades, which is less than 8% of all those certified by PCGS and NGC. Early American copper coins like this one are extremely difficult to find that are original and as pleasing as this coin as evidenced by so few being approved by CAC. Well this one is approved and it is the ONLY ONE in Very Fine 35.