1795
This year, the Treaty of Lorenzo established the border of Florida and permitted United States navigation on the Mississippi River. The Naturalization Act specified a five year residence in the United States for citizenship. Gilbert Stuart painted his famous portrait of George Washington (which today appears on the $1 bill). Robert Fulton patented the first power shovel for digging canals and the British Parliament passed the Speenhamland Act, which provided a government subsidy to wages to relieve the poor.
Copper coinage was suspended from January until October so silver and gold coins could be produced. When copper production resumed, thick, lettered edge cents and half cents were struck. But the price of copper rose at the end of the year to the point where the value of the copper they were made of was more than their face value. These coins, needed for the growing American economy, were being melted as fast as they were produced. To resolve this problem, President Washington made a proclamation on December 27 reducing the weight of cents and half cents. Cents and half cents struck after this date were thinner and did not have lettered edges.
A total of 37,000 lettered edge cents, 45,00 plain edge cents, and 25,600 lettered edge half cents were struck and delivered this year. Since 1795 plain edge cents and half cents are much more common than lettered edge examples, mintage of most of these coins had to occur in 1796. Walter Breen speculates that an additional 456,500 plain edge cents and 114,090 plain edge half cents dated 1795 were struck in 1796. This practice of striking coins bearing an earlier date would continue for several more years. Eleven different varieties of cents were made this year (S-73 through S-80 and NC-1 through NC-3). Five different varieties of half cents are known (C-1 through C-5).
The National Numismatic Collection contains 6 half cents and 16 large cents from this year. The nicest coins are C-2a, C-6a (2), C-6a (3), S-78 (1), S-80 (1), and S-80 (2).
Half Cents
Cents