We can make some basic assumptions.
1) Most banks would only have a 10-20 year charter. This would limit the tracking of Half Cents to a maximum of 1877 (based on a bank starting in 1857) as in 1858 banks would no longer be obligated to take them.
2) A 1/2 cent in 1857 barely had any value (and it's metal was worth more than the monetary value, kind of like today with people pulling the wheat and silver coins from circulation)
3) Half Cents only circulated in large eastern cities, they rarely circulated outside of cities.
4) (Conjecture) In 1858 banks probably stopped taking 1/2 cents as deposit, you may have needed 2 1/2 cents.
5) In 1858 any Half Cents deposited would have been sent for melting as they were no longer accepted and the metal was worth more than the coin.
6) The flying eagle and Indian Head cent were very popular with many people trading large cents for the white cents, hence many large cents and Half Cents were removed from circulation
7) During the civil war almost all coins were pulled from circulation.
Based on the above I would believe most banks stopped tracking Half Cents relatively soon after the release of the flying eagle/IHC. I would believe by 1857 country banks wouldn't even see Half Cents so they probably tracked in full cents. I would say by 1859/1860 majority of banks rounded up or down any Half Cent balances.
The only outliers would probably be banks near the Canadian border as large US cents circulated with the large Canada cents until 1920. If a bank for example was in Niagara Falls NY it might have tracked Half Cent balances until the late 1800's (like 1880-1890).
That's my best guess based on what I know.
1) Most banks would only have a 10-20 year charter. This would limit the tracking of Half Cents to a maximum of 1877 (based on a bank starting in 1857) as in 1858 banks would no longer be obligated to take them.
2) A 1/2 cent in 1857 barely had any value (and it's metal was worth more than the monetary value, kind of like today with people pulling the wheat and silver coins from circulation)
3) Half Cents only circulated in large eastern cities, they rarely circulated outside of cities.
4) (Conjecture) In 1858 banks probably stopped taking 1/2 cents as deposit, you may have needed 2 1/2 cents.
5) In 1858 any Half Cents deposited would have been sent for melting as they were no longer accepted and the metal was worth more than the coin.
6) The flying eagle and Indian Head cent were very popular with many people trading large cents for the white cents, hence many large cents and Half Cents were removed from circulation
7) During the civil war almost all coins were pulled from circulation.
Based on the above I would believe most banks stopped tracking Half Cents relatively soon after the release of the flying eagle/IHC. I would believe by 1857 country banks wouldn't even see Half Cents so they probably tracked in full cents. I would say by 1859/1860 majority of banks rounded up or down any Half Cent balances.
The only outliers would probably be banks near the Canadian border as large US cents circulated with the large Canada cents until 1920. If a bank for example was in Niagara Falls NY it might have tracked Half Cent balances until the late 1800's (like 1880-1890).
That's my best guess based on what I know.
Edited by hfjacinto
07/11/2023 10:24 pm
07/11/2023 10:24 pm


















