The 1793 Facing Left, Half Cent is the smallest denomination of any US Coinage series, but that isn’t the only interesting fact about the Half Cent denomination. It’s actually a bit of a mystery and debate, on the actual designer, of the coin itself. In addition, there were many factors that almost derailed the first Half Cent, and it’s a wonder we even have the coin to talk about and collect.

It all started when then President, George Washington and Secretary of State, Thomas Jefferson, diligently sought after talented European engravers. One in particular, Pierre Droz, a Swiss artist. However, they failed in this endeavor.

The matter was finally settled when an artist named Joseph Wright, from New Jersey, became the “unofficial” Mint Engraver in 1792. It was a short-lived post as Wright died of Yellow Fever, less than a year into his new post, in late 1793. The Yellow Fever epidemic struck Philadelphia hard and prompted, all who could, to leave the city and caused a shut-down of mint operations for a time.

During this short tenure, sources give Wright only partial credit, along side Robert Birch, for a single creation, the 1792 Half Disme design (pronounced deem). It’s obvious that the facing left and flowing hair qualities of the 1792 Half Disme are the only similarities between it and the 1793 Flowing Hair Half Cent.

However, he must have worked, at least jointly, on the 1792 Disme during this time frame. Which is near an exact duplicate of the 1793 Half Cent portrait, minus the Pythagorean Cap on a pole. So who came up with the 1793 Liberty Bust, design? Was it the man responsible for the 1792 Disme Pattern?

We can, with certainty, eliminate Robert (Bob) Birch since all of his Proposed Coinages mirrors the same 1792 Half Disme Bust Design more than the 1793 Half Cent Bust. Robert Scot replaced Wright and was the first official Chief Engraver in November 1793, but he is not responsible for the 1793 Half Cent, Facing Left, Flowing Hair Liberty, Cap Pole design either.

Most experts give Henry Voight, the Chief Coiner, the credit for the obverse and reverse designs with no mention of Scot, Wright or Birch. I question the basis for this claim. It’s also known that Adam Eckfeldt, Voight’s assistant Coiner, might have had a hand in the design of the 1793 Half Cent, and some sources even give him credit for the 1792 Disme.

Other sources claim Wright designed the dies for the Half Cent obverse and Voight the reverse. So, it’s obvious that Wright and Voight worked in unison on the Flowing Liberty, Facing Left, Half Cent. However, Voight designed the 1793 Flowing Hair Large Cent and this portrait of Liberty is not as well executed as the Half Cent portrait in question.

Both, Large Cent and Half Cent Flowing Hair coins are similar in design concept but they’re much different renditions of a final product. So I still feel it’s a stretch to give Voight all the credit, and if we do, then it should be listed as a group or tandem creation, and maybe include Eckfeldt, as well? I personally believe it would be an injustice to credit any single person for this design, and I will tell you why. Read the rest