1825 Half Cent - 1825 1/2C PCGS MS64BN CAC. This exceptional, near-Gem Classic Head 1825 half cent is tied for the second finest known at both PCGS and CAC. The coin is mainly chocolate brown with shades of darker brown, tan, and blue. These colors attest to its originality. The surfaces, which are hard and glossy, are clean for the grade with no abrasion marks or other distractions worthy of note. The strike is above average with full details on the centers of most of the stars, the hair below the headband, and the elements of the wreath. The obverse dentils are strong as is the reverse center dot. The CAC sticker confirms that the coin is a premium quality piece that fully merits the assigned grade.  

John Reich designed the Classic Head half cent. It was minted from 1809 to 1836. The design shows a curly headed Liberty wearing a LIBERTY inscribed head band in profile, facing left. Seven six-pointed stars are to the left and six are to the right with the date below the truncation. The reverse has a closed wreath of laurel tied with a ribbon. Within the wreath is the denomination HALF CENT written on two lines with a center dot and a horizontal line below. Surrounding the wreath is the legend UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. Dentils are at the periphery of both sides.
John Reich, a skilled engraver, was born in Bavaria and came to the United States around 1800. In order to finance his passage, he sold himself into servitude. President Thomas Jefferson recommended that Reich be hired as an engraver at the Mint in 1801. When he was serving in Washingtons Cabinet, Jefferson was in charge of the Mint as Secretary of State. While in France, Jefferson developed a working knowledge of the minting process. Reich was hired for other duties, but he eventually became an engraver. He had a superb eye for the complicated aesthetics of coin engraving. At this time his freedom was purchased by an unknown mint official. Although Chief Engraver Robert Scot designed most of the coins at the mint since 1794, it was said that Reich had much more talent and ability than Scot.

In 1807, Reich was promoted to the position of Assistant or Second Engraver by Robert Patterson, the new Mint Director. Jefferson had urged Patterson to make this promotion because Scots eyesight was failing him. The promotion was timely because Reich was considering returning to Europe out of boredom with the menial tasks he had been assigned. Immediately Patterson assigned Reich the task of redesigning the nations coinage. He began with the half eagle and the half dollar, the two most important coins for commerce.

The design for the Capped Bust half dollar uses a buxom Liberty wearing a LIBERTY inscribed cloth cap, which gave the coin a distinctly European look. The heraldic eagle reverse symbolizes the Union with the arrows and olive branch in its talons. Reich created a signature device of a small notch on the outside of star 13. The design for the gold coin was similar but modified slightly to accommodate its smaller size. In 1807 both coins were released.

Reich made a similar design for the quarter eagle that was issued the next year. He also designed a new cent, a dime and a half cent in 1809, and a quarter in 1815 all of which used the capped bust motif.
Reich put the denomination of the gold and silver coins. This innovation had not been done previously because coins, especially in Europe, were valued for their metallic content and weight. By 1815 Reich had created a set of circulating coins with the common capped liberty obverse. In 1813 Reich modified the half eagle to become what is called the Capped Head   design. Some contemporary critic called the bust of Liberty Reichs fat German mistress.

After working for ten years as Assistant Engraver at the mint, Reich resigned in 1817. He had received no pay raise or promotion and little praise from Robert Scot. Scot remained the Chief Engraver until his death in 1823.

In its population report, PCGS shows 20 1825 half cents in MS64 BN condition with 3 higher. At CAC, as of July 2013, there are 4 in MS64 BN with 1 higher.