1831
This year, Nat Turner led an unsuccessful slave revolt in Virginia, Cyrus McCormick demonstrated his horse drawn reaper, which could do the work of five men, and Poems by Edgar Allan Poe was published. Samuel Guthrie, a Massachusetts inventor, developed a process for producing chloroform and Robert Stevens set up America's first steam railway.
Elsewhere, Belgium separated from the Netherlands, the British took control of Mysore in India, and the Russians suppressed a rebellion in Poland. English navigator James Ross planted the British flag at the north magnetic pole, Charles Darwin started his five year voyage on the HMS Beagle, and the British scientist Brown discovered and named the cell nucleus.
The mint delivered 3,359,260 large cents and only 2,200 half cents this year. All of the half cents were undoubtedly dated 1831, with a mixture of proofs and business strikes produced this year. Some of the large cents struck this year were probably dated 1830. Large cents dated 1831 were, however, struck at various times over the next four years. Thirteen varieties of large cents (N1 - N 12 and N 14) and three varieties of half cent (C 1, 1st restrike and 2nd restrike) are known for this year. Restrike half cents were struck in later years, probably to accommodate collector demand. The large cents include small (N 2 - N 5 and N 11) and large letter reverse legends. Proof cents this year (N 9) are one-sided, using a technique borrowed from the French mint.
The best coins for this year in the National Numismatic collection include C 1 and N 9.
Half Cents
Large Cents