By Larry LeMasters
The half dime was a silver coin, minted in the 1700s and 1800s, which was valued at five cents. Numismatists enjoy arguing over whether the half dime was the first business strike coin minted under the US Coinage Act of 1792 or whether the half dime was nothing more than a “test piece” pattern coin?
Half dimes were much smaller than dimes in both diameter and thickness, so they possessed a true “half dime” appearance.
