1847
This year, American forces continuously beat the Mexican army, with General Winfield Scott entering Mexico City in September. The Donner party, lost in the Sierra Nevada Mountains in December 1846, is found. Only 45 of the original 87 members are still alive. The American Medical Association was founded in Philadelphia, the first official US postage stamps were issued, and Brigham Young, with a party of 143 people, arrived in the Great Salt Lake Valley.
Elsewhere, Liberia became a free and independent country, Liszt gave his final piano concert, Thackery published Vanity Fair, and a radical Irish group tried to repeal the the union of Great Britain and Ireland. Their efforts resulted in the suspension of Habeas Corpus in Ireland.
The mint struck and delivered 6,183,669 large cents this year. Thirty-seven varieties are known for this date (N 1 – N 8, N 10 – N 15, N18 – 24, N 26 – N 32, N 34 – N 39, and N 41 – N 43). One variety, N 42, comes as a proof only. Three varieties (N 2, N 15, and N 18) show evidence of repunching on the 7 in the date. Half cents dated 1847 were struck only as proofs. There is no record of how many were struck. Restrikes of these coins were made in the late 1850’s and early 1860’s. Restrikes come with either large or small berries on the reverse.
The nicest coins in the national numismatic collection for this year include C 1 and N 42.
HALF CENT
LARGE CENTS