1828 1/2C 13 Stars, RD (Regular Strike)
Series: Classic Head Half Cents 1809-1835
PCGS MS65RD
13 vs. 12 STARS
PCGS MS64+RD
- PCGS #:
- 1149
- Designer:
- John Reich
- Edge:
- Plain
- Diameter:
- 23.50 millimeters
- Weight:
- 5.44 grams
- Mintage:
- 606,000
- Mint:
- Philadelphia
- Metal:
- Copper
- Auction Record:
- $20,700 • MS65 • 08-16-2006 • Bowers & Merena
Major Varieties
Rarity and Survival Estimates Learn More
| Survival Estimate | |
|---|---|
| All Grades | 30 |
| 60 or Better | 30 |
| 65 or Better | 5 |
| Numismatic Rarity | |
|---|---|
| All Grades | R-8.9 |
| 60 or Better | R-8.9 |
| 65 or Better | R-9.7 |
| Relative Rarity By Type All Specs in this Type | |
|---|---|
| All Grades | 3 / 14 |
| 60 or Better | 3 / 14 |
| 65 or Better | 1 / 14 TIE |
| Relative Rarity By Series All Specs in this Series | |
|---|---|
| All Grades | 3 / 14 |
| 60 or Better | 3 / 14 |
| 65 or Better | 1 / 14 TIE |
Condition Census What Is This?
|
#1 PCGS MS65RD
"The Louis E. Eliasberg Collection," Bowers & Merena, May 1996, Lot 440; "The Red Headed Copper Collection," Heritage Auctions, August 19, 2018, Lot 5033 - $18,000; "The High Desert Collection" (PCGS Set Registry). C-3. |
|
#1 PCGS MS65RD
As NGC MS65RD #1951298-001. Bowers and Merena, August 2006, Lot 62. Misattributed on the insert as C-1; “The Joseph C. Thomas Collection,” Heritage Auctions, April 30, 2009, Lot 2024 – $10,925. As NGC MS65RD #3260299-001. Heritage Auctions, May 31, 2012, Lot 3053 – $10,925. As PCGS MS65RD #25248112. Dell Loy Hansen; "The D.L. Hansen Half Cents & Cents/Major Varieties and Proof (1793-Present) Collection" (PCGS Set Registry). C-3. |
|
#3 PCGS MS64+RD
Stack’s, June 2005, Lot 1006; “The James R. McGuigan Collection,” Heritage Auctions, August 22, 2022, Lot 3097 – $15,600; "The Halfcenter Collection" (PCGS Set Registry). C-3. |
|
#4 PCGS MS64RD
"The Temecula Collection, Part Two," Heritage Auctions, May 1, 2007, Lot 112 - $4,600; "The J&J and R&R Gobrecht's Raisinet Collection," Heritage Auctions, January 14, 2024, Lot 3065 - $4,080; "Golbrecht's Raisinet Collecftion" (PCGS Set Registry). C-3. |
#4 PCGS MS64RD
"The ESM Collection," Stack's Bowers, March 25, 2020, Lot 3041 - $3,000; Stack's Bowers, August 11, 2020, Lot 2283 - $3,000; "The Calvin Appleton (1828-1898) Collection" (PCGS Set Registry). C-3. |
#4 PCGS MS64RD
Howard Rounds Newcomb, privately in 1935; B. Max Mehl, privately in 1935; “Colonel” E.H.R. Green, June 8, 1936; The Green Estate, to Eric P. Newman and B.G. Johnson (as St. Louis Coin & Stamp), April 1943, $30.01; The Eric P. Newman Numismatic Education Society; “The Missouri Cabinet Collection,” Goldberg Auctioneers, January 2014, Lot 115 - $25,300. As PCGS MS64RD #40276025. “The Bob R. Simpson Collection, Part IV,” Heritage Auctions, February 23, 2021, Lot 3001 – $9,600. C-3 |
| #4 PCGS MS64RD |
| #4 PCGS MS64RD |
| #4 PCGS MS64RD |
The United States Mint did not produce half cents in 1827 but resumed their issue in 1828. The 1828 Classic Head Half Cent has a reported mintage of 606,000 pieces—a sizable total second only to the series’ inaugural 1809 issue (#1123).
For this release, Mint Chief Engraver William Kneass made slight modifications to the obverse, most notably adjusting the chin. While The Red Book denotes two primary varieties—13 Stars and 12 Stars—specialists have identified three distinct die marriages. Cohen-1 (#35258) and Cohen-3 (#35262) comprise the 13 Stars variety, while Cohen-2 (#35264) is the sole 12 Stars die marriage. None of the three are linked by shared dies in a way that allows for a definitive die sequence.
Of the three, the Cohen-1 is by far the scarcest in Mint State and is likely undervalued in the current market. Following it in rarity is the Cohen-2. By contrast, multiple examples of the Cohen-3 survive in Mint State, including many pieces with Red-Brown (RB) or Red (RD) designations. These are attributed to a hoard of approximately 1,000 pieces discovered in 1884 and sold by Benjamin Collins, a Treasury Department employee-turned-coin dealer.
It is impossible to determine exactly how many 1828 Classic Head Half Cents entered circulation. While many did, Mint records indicate that a significant number of unwanted examples were melted down in 1832.
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