Flowing Hair Half Dollar
Flowing Hair Half Dollar was one of the very first coins that were issued by the federal government of the United States. Flowing Hair Half Dollar was minted in 1795 and 1794. The size of flowing hair coin was just like the Spanish Dollar and its size was also based on Spanish Dollar. Spanish Dollar was very popular in America for the trade.
Things have changes with the passage of time and our currency system has evolved to a totally new level. Many types of coins have been the story of past and have disappeared from the market long time ago. If we look back, we will see that half dollar has been erased from the American commerce and there is no sign of this type of coins in today’s market. Now a day, flowing hair half dollar is the type of coins that has nothing to do with national coin system. Flowing hair has been a very important type of coins that had huge worth and these coins played a very important role in the American coinage history. The importance of this type of coin began to diminish when government introduced silver coins. The United States introduced silver coins in 1794 and half dollar was one of the three types of coins that were introduced in this metal. Silver dollar coins and the half dime were also introduced in silver metal.
Congress passed the law approving the U.S. Mint and spelling out coin divisions and particulars on April 2, 1792—however the primary copper coins turned out poorly generation until 1793, and more than two entire years passed by before the principal silver coins developed. Coinage, as a rule, was ease back to get going at the country’s first mint in Philadelphia.
Flowing hair dollar had the largest value coins as it was the first dollar that was produced in silver. In any case, while the silver dollar may have polished America’s picture, it did little to give a prompt answer for the country’s coinage needs: the coining press couldn’t adapt to its size and heave and separated after less than 1,800 agreeable pieces had been struck.
Rittenhouse declared to suspend this type of coins because they thought that it is better to wait until a better press is installed. But the depositors began to force the government and mint began to produce half dollars to meet the demand. The first shipment of 5,300 pieces of half dollars was delivered on 1st December of 1794.
Flowing hair half dollars are little heavier and large as compared to relatively modern counterparts. Higher standards for flowing half dollar were used although congress had not sanctioned these. So, it clearly meant that mint was violating the law of the land. Now depositors took silver coins in return as they had deposited bullion with the mint. They had to return larger amount of sliver for each coin than the amount that was mentioned by the law. This type of coins is challenging to grade and most of the glowing half dollars were used in the commerce and commercial trades.