1795 Half Dollar - 1795 50C 2 Leaves, NGC XF45. O-110, R-3. In its population report, NGC shows 1 1795 half dollar, O-110 the present coin, in XF45 condition with 2 better. Pleasing light surfaces with just a hint of darker toning at the peripheries characterize this eye-appealing 2 Leaves 1795 half dollar. The light and dark gray colors attest to the coins originality. The surfaces are clean for the grade with few visible abrasion marks, none of which are worthy of individual mention. The hair below Libertys head and down her neck is defined and detailed, and the eagles breast shows some feathers remaining.
 
The coin is identified as the O-110 variety because Stars 1 and 2 are distant from the hair curl. Star 5 is recut at its lower points, and the 9 of the date is widely recut at the outer loop. Star 15 is distant from the end of the bust. The date is 8 millimeters long and evenly spaced. There are raised lines between the curls above Star 2. The reverse has 2 leaves under each wing. There are four berries, two on each side of the leaves under the wings. The upper one on the right is the only one of the four that has a stem. The point of a leaf is under the left base of the I in AMERICA. There is a prominent center dot near the junction of the eagles right wing and body. The left base of the R in AMERICA is attached to the wing.
 
Robert Scot designed the Flowing Hair half dollar. It was issued from 1794 to 1795. It showed a portrait of Liberty facing right with her hair loosely tied behind her head. Above her head was the word LIBERTY, and the date was below. There were fifteen stars, eight to the left and seven to the right. The reverse showed a perched eagle with wings spread looking to the right. A wreath tied with a bow encircles the eagle. The legend UNITED STATES OF AMERICA is in an arc around the eagle. Except for its edge lettering, the Flowing Hair half dollar has no denomination. Like European coinage of the time, silver and gold pieces were valued by their weight and fineness so the denomination was largely irrelevant. Prior to the issuance of the half dollar only copper coins were made because neither the Chief Coiner, Henry Voigt nor the Assayer, Albion Cox could post the $10,000 bond required to be responsible for gold and silver. Thomas Jefferson recommended to President Washington that this bond requirement be reduced. Washington agreed, and in 1794 Scot was able to produce a die for the cent as well as the half dollar coins. Since there was no standardized hubbing, individual punches were used for numbers, letters, the stars, and leaf punches. The edge was lettered FIFTY CENTS OR A HALF DOLLAR with decorative designs in between the words.

Thomas Jefferson chose Scot to be the first Chief Engraver of the United States Mint on November 23, 1793. Scot was born in 1744 in Edinburgh, Scotland or England. (Documentary evidence is lacking as to where he was born.)  He was trained as a watchmaker in England and learned engraving afterwards. He moved to the United States in 1777, where he worked as an engraver of plates, bills of exchange, and office scales. During the Revolution, he was an engraver of paper money. In 1780 he was made the State Engraver of Virginia. He moved to Philadelphia the next year. He was appointed Chief Engraver of the United States Mint on November 23, 1793 by David Rittenhouse, Mint Director. His salary in 1795 was $1,200 per year. The Mint Director received only $800 dollars per year more. Scots ability to make dies was limited, and in his advanced years he had failing eyesight. His work was somewhat less than that done in Europe at the time, and Scot was criticized for its poor quality. He was responsible for designs of most of Americas first coins. These include the Flowing Hair and the Draped Bust motifs used on early silver coins and the Capped Bust gold coins. Scot also designed the 1794-1797 half-cent, the 1800-1808 draped bust half-cent, and the Thomas Jefferson Indian Peace Medal. He died on November 1, 1823 and was succeeded by William Kneass as Chief Engraver.

The early Mint in Philadelphia had many challenges. Conditions were poor even at times chaotic. Each of the specialists, the designers, engravers, and press operators were men who had previously worked in other fields. Coin manufacturing was a new trade for them. Production was sporadic. For the new Mint to coin each of the mandated denominations, it took four years. This delay was partly because of inexperience and governmental obstacles. Bonds that were unrealistically high were impediments to engravers working with precious metals. Congress was not united on the need for a government mint since private and foreign coinage seemed to work. Because of the non-existent or low production numbers in the early years of the Mint, foreign copper, silver and gold circulated along with American made coins for many years until they were later demonetized.

Record keeping in the Mints early years was fairly inaccurate. At the end of the eighteenth century Philadelphia had recovered from the British occupation and Revolutionary War. It was the second largest city in the English-speaking world, but it could do nothing to protect its citizens from the mosquito-borne epidemic of yellow fever. Its wealthy citizens went to the countryside to escape, and the poor grimly waited their fate. Of course these annual epidemics caused havoc with all manufacturing that required continuity, such as a coinage sequence. The Mint shut operations during the late summer and early fall every year. In addition to yellow fever, disorder at the Mint was also caused by chronic bullion shortages and coin dies that would wear out and had to be re-engraved because they were not taken out of production until they failed completely. Often dies were locked up and later taken out of storage without great attention and care. There was also a jealous Chief Engraver, Robert Scot, who was in his seventies and had failing eyesight.  

In its population report, NGC shows 1 1795 half dollar, O-110 the present coin, in XF45 condition with 2 better.