-- National Pride. A rising spirit of pride in the new nation also led to the War of 1812. Americans deeply resented British impressment of U.S. sailors. Moreover, many Americans believed it was the foreordained destiny of the nation to expand across the continent, and were prepared to take up arms to further this cause.

Thus, on June 18, 1812, Congress declared war on Great Britain. Support for the war was far from unanimous, however. Many residents of the New England states, represented by the Federalist Party in Washington, refused to support a war against Great Britain, for fear of harming their lucrative maritime trade. Furthermore, New Englanders worried about their shrinking power in the federal government if new states were added. In many respects, the United States was ill-prepared for war, but the lack of unity was the most visible handicap facing the nation.

** (2) United States Coinage Types during the War of 1812
Coinage was not produced in large quantities by the United States during the War of 1812. Of the ten coin denominations stipulated by the 1792 Mint Act, only three of them were struck with any consistency during the war: cents, half dollars, and half eagles. The other seven denominations were scarcely minted or not at all, because of the existence of foreign coin substitutes, bullion weight peculiarities, or other circumstances related to the war. What follows is a review of U.S. coinage types from 1812-1815, the years the War of 1812 was fought, and how their collectible values have progressed in modern times.

++ Half Cent. None issued. ++

Planchets for coining the half cent came to the U.S. from England, up until 1811, when worsening relations between the two nations halted shipments. No one really missed the half cent, as economists of the time questioned the existence of the lowly denomination, given their manufacturing difficulty and limited value in commercial transactions. The half cent would not be minted again until 1825.

++ Large Cent. Classic Head, 1812-1814. ++

England also provided planchets for the one cent coin, and like the half cent, deliveries ceased prior to and during the War of 1812. Cent production continued, but in smaller quantities. By 1814, the planchet supply was exhausted. In September 1815, about nine months after the close of hostilities, planchet shipments resumed, but this did not allow the Mint enough time to issue cents dated 1815. Thus, 1815 is the only year since the U.S. Mint began regular coinage in 1793 that the one cent denomination was not struck.