The half cent is the lowest denomination that the United States government has ever struck for circulation. It was introduced with the Liberty Cap Half Cent type in 1793. The coins were struck in two different subtypes with Liberty facing left or right. The final coins of hte series were dated 1797, although coins bearing this date would be struck as 1800 when the next design was introduced. This was a common practice at the Mint during this era.
The obverse design of the coins features an image of Liberty with hair unbound and flowing. For the earliest coins she faces left and on later coins she faces right. Behind Liberty a cap on top of a staff is pictured. The reverse design features a wreath of laurel leaves with a bow at the base. The denomination “Half Cent” appears within the wreath and the fraction “1/200″ appears below.
All Liberty Cap Half Cents are scarce, with the majority of the known examples in lower grades. High grade examples are occasionally available, but are often priced relatively high due to the demand from type set collectors and specialists.
This site provides some basic history and information on the Liberty Cap Half Cent. It can serve as introduction for coin collectors to this important series.