***Auction Highlight*** 1792 Half Disme Bust Half Dime 1/2 10c Graded f12 By SEGS. HIGHLIGHT OF THE YEAR - The First Coin Minted by The United States. 1792 H10c Half Disme, Judd-7, f12 SEGS. Although the 1792 half disme has traditionally been collected with the pattern series, most present-day numismatists consider the issue to be the first U.S. coin struck for circulation. Authority for this view comes from an unimpeachable source, President George Washington himself. In his November 1792 address to Congress, Washington remarked, "There has also been a small beginning in the coinage of half dimes”. The number of coins produced also argues strongly for the business-strike nature of this premier U.S. Mint product, as somewhere between 1,500 and 2,000 pieces were originally struck. Later accounts suggest the coins were distributed by Washington himself, either through presentation to European dignitaries or as gifts to friends. The majority of examples seen today are worn, suggesting that the issue circulated extensively at, or near, the time of issue. The Mint facilities were not ready to begin coinage operations in the summer of 1792, and much of its equipment was stored in the cellar of Philadelphia saw maker John Harper. It was here that the half dismes were struck, on July 12, 1792 according to Thomas Jefferson's household account book. From this modest beginning, the 1792 half disme has become one of the most important and valuable issues in the U.S. coinage series. The surviving population is estimated as 250-400 pieces in all grades. It is worth adding that the the recent publication of Birth of a Nation's Coinage by Smith, Oroz, and Augsburg has done much to separate fact from fiction as it pertains to the production of the 1792 coinage. Certain clarifications include the fact that Thomas Jefferson likely delivered Spanish colonial silver coins for striking the half dismes rather than the legend that George Washington himself brought Martha Washington’s household Silver to have the first coins minted. That being said…we prefer the legend. The present coin is well-centered on the obverse, with date partially worn off but the legend easily legible. The portrait is complete in outline and retains some interior detail. The reverse is not quite as sharp, but the surfaces of both sides show only minor abrasions with pleasing silver-gray and golden-brown patina. We have included 2 other f12 examples for your comparison. A Corey's Pick, Bid to Win, Don't let it get Away, you might not find its equal Coin. I give this coin my highest recommendation