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The early years of the US Mint were marked by a
scarcity of resources. Working dies sometimes had their date modified
to extend their lives beyond the year of manufacture.
All 20,266 of the 1802 half cents were struck from an unused leftover
1800 die, after a small 2 was punched over the second 0 in 1800 to read
as 1802. In other words, every 1802 Half Cent is a 2/0 overdate.
The obverse die was matched with a couple of
different reverse dies, creating two distinct 1802 half cent varieties.
The "Reverse of 1802" die has a stemless berry attached to the right
branch of the wreath between the stem and lowest leaf pair. This
feature is not seen on any other Draped Bust Half Cent. The "Reverse of
1800" die was the same reverse used on other Draped Bust Half Cents.
Of the two types, the 1800 reverse is by far the rarest. Only about 5%
of the surviving 1802 half cents are of this variety. As you might
expect, prices are very high, starting at around $25,000.
The coin featured on this page, having the 1802 reverse, is a highly
collectible coin in its own right, yet remains within the reach of a
bigger group of collectors, costing at least $1000 to purchase an
example.
There is an interesting subplot with regard to the 1802 Half Cent.
Numismatic researchers have uncovered evidence suggesting all them were
struck from botched Large Cents (recorded by the early US Mint as
"spoiled cents"). On a tiny few 1802 Half Cents (guesstimated to be a
dozen or so), some Large Cent details remain visible where the
re-striking pressure failed to eradicate them. As you might expect,
these particular examples carry significant premiums.
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