1797-P Liberty Cap

  • Category
    Liberty Cap
  • Design
    Head Facing Right (1794-1797)
  • Year
    1797
  • Mint
    Philadelphia
  • Mintage
    127,840
  • Designer
    Robert Scot
  • Composition
    100% Copper
  • Diameter
    23.5mm
  • Weight
    6.74g

All Varieties

Known variants:
1 Above 1 - Plain Edge

One major variety of the 1797 Liberty Cap Half Cent (Penny) features a number "1" above the normal "1" in the 1797 date and also has a plain edge. An example of this error is depicted in the image above. This was the result of the engraver making a mistake by first punching the number "1" too high and then realizing it was too high. Rather than throwing the die out - the engraver simply punched the date lower and leave the error where it was. Nowadays a die with a mistake on it would simply be thrown out. Although back in 1797 the die steel was too expensive and too much labor went into making a new one - So throwing out a perfectly good die was unacceptable.

Gripped Edge

One major variety of the 1797 Liberty Cap Half Cent (Penny) features the standard centered liberty head as depicted above and also has a gripped edge around the coin. There are no errors and the head is centered normally (unlike other varieties where it is aligned lower). This coin also features a gripped edge around the coin with irregular indentations - which is extremely rare and valuable.

Lettered Edge

One major variety of the 1797 Liberty Cap Half Cent (Penny) features the standard centered liberty head as depicted above and also has a lettered edge around the coin. There are no errors and the head is centered normally (unlike other varieties where it is aligned lower). This coin also featured lettered on the edge of the coin - which is rarer and more valuable than a coin with a plain smooth edge. The words on the edge of the coin read: "TWO HUNDRED FOR A DOLLAR".

Plain Edge - Low Head

One major variety of the 1797 Liberty Cap Half Cent (Penny) features a liberty head aligned much lower on the coin and nearly touching the date - unlike the standard normal and centered head. In addition: This coin will have a plain smooth edge - not a lettered or gripped edge.

Plain Edge

One major variety of the 1797 Liberty Cap Half Cent (Penny) features the standard centered liberty head and a plain edge as depicted above. There are no errors and the head is centered normally (unlike other varieties where it is aligned lower). There are no letters and no gripped edges to the coin as it should be smooth and plain.