When did the half penny come out of circulation?

The Coinage Act of 1857 repealed the half cent. The 1857 Act contained seven sections, and the half cent was officially discontinued in section four. The Braided Hair half cent was the final half cent coin minted and was produced from 1840 to 1857.

From 1811 to 1825, no coins worth a half cent were minted, as there was no commercial demand for them. However, mint director Robert Paterson tasked engraver Christian Gobrecht with the job of creating dies for the purpose of gifting visiting dignitaries proof sets of coins. This brought about the formation of the Braided Hair half-cent coin.