Value of 1855 Braided Hair Half Cent

Value of 1855 C-1 Braided Hair Half Cent

W-1 | C-1 (Proof, SO-1), B-1 | Breen dies: 1-A. | Proofs of the date were made for inclusion in sets and for individual purchase; perhaps 40 to 60 pieces exist today. Circulation strike of the 1855 Braided Hair Half Cents, W-1 in Mint State exist in somewhat sizable numbers due to two hoards of the date that hit the numismatic marketplace in two different centuries. The Judge Putnam Hoard contained dozens of mint red examples and came to light in 1885 when his coin collection was sold. Putnam served on the Assay Commission off and on for years and may have obtained the half cents in this manner. In the 1940s Charles French purchased a bag of 500 bright red 1855 half cents but he dispersed them slowly so as not to flood the marketplace. It is believed the last of the French Hoard coins were sold in the early 1960s.

The obverse text of the Braided Hair Half Cent reads “Liberty, 1855.” The reverse of the coins read “United States of America, Half Cent.” If you are selling your coin, please consider contacting our rare coin experts, or consulting our rare coin price guide. We are the old coin buyer that you can trust, and we will offer you top dollar for your coin. To get an old coin appraisal, our experts will need to see an image of the rare coins you are interested in selling. Please include a front and back image of the coins.