INDEX
A Draped Bust Half Dollar contains 0.3867 troy oz of silver — about $23.10 at today's silver price.
Spot price as of July 23, 2026
About This Series
Robert Scot designed the Draped Bust half dollar in two reverse types: a Small Eagle used only in 1796 and 1797, and a Heraldic Eagle from 1801 through 1807. Only two dates of the Small Eagle type were struck, both very scarce; the 1796 with 15 stars is rarer than the 16-star version. This is early American coinage territory: quantities were low, survival was unpredictable, and most examples show heavy circulation. Still, these are among the earliest half dollars the US Mint ever struck, and collector demand stays strong regardless of condition.
Specifications
1796–1807
- Composition
- 89.24% Silver, 10.76% Copper
- Fineness
- 89.2%
- Weight
- 13.48 g
- Diameter
- 32.5 mm
- ASW
- 0.3867 oz
- Years Produced
- 1796–1807
Melt Value
Based on silver spot price of $59.74/oz
Spot price as of July 23, 2026
Mintage by year and mint
NGC Coin Explorer publishes fewer than 8 business-strike figures for this series, which is too few to rank one year against the rest.
| Year | Mint | Business strikes | Proof |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1796 | Philadelphia | 3,918 | Not listed by NGC |
| 1797 | Philadelphia | Not published by NGC | Not listed by NGC |
| 1801 | Philadelphia | 30,289 | Not listed by NGC |
| 1802 | Philadelphia | 29,890 | Not listed by NGC |
| 1803 | Philadelphia | 188,234 | Not listed by NGC |
| 1805 | Philadelphia | 211,722 | Not listed by NGC |
| 1806 | Philadelphia | 839,576 | Not listed by NGC |
| 1807 | Philadelphia | 301,076 | Not listed by NGC |
| Mintages as published by NGC Coin Explorer, 2026-03 snapshot. Covers 1796–1807. NGC Coin Explorer does not list every date and mint, so this is what it publishes rather than a complete census. | |||