1795 1/2C Punctuated Date, LE, BN FR2BN Certification #59034138, PCGS #1015

Behold, the rare Punctuated Date-Lettered Edge variety. Given the low grade (Fair-02), any remnant of a punctuated date [die mutation that appears as a comma in the date] has been lost to time. As a result, an observer must rely on other diagnostics to determine the variety. The main diagnostic (absent the die mutation) is the appearance of numeral 1 in 1795, with all three serifs present. By contrast, the other variety (Lettered Edge) oddly shows a capital letter I, with four serifs. This coin is part of my low ball registry set, all dated 1795. The population report shows two in Fair-02, none lower. Purchased September 1, 2025 from an eBay dealer in Kingwood, Texas. $465.

Ron Guth

The "punctuation" on Punctuated Date 1795 Half Cents looks like a long comma between the 1 and the 7 of the date.  While this seems like a perfectly normal place for punctuation, the "comma" was purely unintentional and is merely a die defect. The "comma" appears on the following 1795 die varieties:

Cohen 2a - Lettered Edge (the only variety that qualifies as the Punctuated Date, Lettered Edge)
Cohen 2b - Plain Edge
Cohen 3 - Plain Edge
Cohen 4 - Plain Edge

As can be seen above, the Cohen 2 variety bridged the transition from heavy weight (104 grains) to light weight (84 grains) planchets following a change in the law designed to reduce the cost of making Half Cents and Cents.  The light weight planchets were too thin to received edge lettering, so they were issued with plain edges.

Sources and/or recommended reading:
"American Half Cents (Second Edition" by Roger S. Cohen, Jr.