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Liberty Seated Half Dime 1837 - 1873
By 1837, the Mint’s entering the modern era. Two factors allowed the transition to
take place. First, there was a large amount of silver and gold available for minting.
Second, new steam powered coining presses weres introduced using a close collar. These
state-of-the-art presses made striking coins faster and more efficient.
The new Mint Director Patterson had his own vision of the emblematic Liberty. Portraits,
as used on the coinage to that date was not part of the vision. Patterson admired the
English rendition of Britannia on their copper coins. Chief Engraver William Kneass
with the help of artists Titian Peale and Thomas Sully made drawings using a similar concept.
By 1835 Christian Gobrecht, a talented engraver and medallist had unofficially worked
for the Mint for over a decade. In the summer of ’35 Gobrecht was appointed second
engraver, he was immediately set to work on bringing Patterson’s ideas to life.
Liberty seated on a rock and holding a shield was deigned in 1835 as a silver
dollar patterns. The design was first used for circulation on the half dime
in 1837. It is the smallest in size and lowest in denomination of the six coins
bearing the Seated Liberty designs.
Vital Stats.
- Designer:
- Obverse by Thomas Sully,
- Reverse by Christian Gobrecht
- Diameter: 15.9 millimeters
- Weight: 1.3 grams
- Content: 90% silver 10% copper
- Edge: Reeded
- Mint Mark Location: Below "DIME" on the reverse
Type 1 No Stars and No Drapery |
Date/
Mint | Circulation
Strikes |
| 1837 | 1,405,000 |
| 1838-O | 70,000 |
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Type 1 No Stars
From an artistic standpoint this coin is one of the most uncluttered coins ever struck in the United States.
There are two distinct varieties known.
First there is a large date with the date curved, the 1 in the date has a tall peak.
The second variety has a small date in a straight line, the 1 in the date has a flat top.
The large date is more common than the small date, but suprisingly, there is usually no premium accorded to the small date.
The 1837 No Stars half dimes is more available in uncirculated grades than would be normally expected.
As a explaination for this, it has been suggested that many pieces were saved as first-year-of-issue souvenirs.
In 1838, and for that year only, No Stars half dimes were coined in New Orleans.
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Vital Stats.
Type 2 (1838-1853)
- Designer:
- Obverse by Thomas Sully modified by Robert Ball Hughes
- Reverse by Christian Gobrecht
- Diameter: 15.9 millimeters
- Weight: 1.3 grams
- Content: 90% silver 10% copper
- Edge: Reeded
- Mint Mark Location: Below "DIME" on the reverse
Type 2 WITH STARS NO DRAPERY (1838-1840)
| Year/Mint Mark | Circulation Strikes |
| 1838 | 2,255,000 |
| 1839 | 1,069,150 |
| 1839 O | 1,034,039 |
| 1840 | included below |
| 1840 O | included below |
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Type 2 With Stars No Drapery 1838 - 1840
In 1838 thirteen stars were placed in a circle around Liberty. In the beginning, each
star was hand punched into a older style die. Collectors refer to the coins as the
“No Drapery” variety. THis is because the hand punched stars gave it a somewhat different
appearance, and the drapery at the elbow had not yet been added.
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Type 3 (1853-1855)
- Designer:
- Obverse by Thomas Sully modified by Robert Ball Hughes
- Reverse by Christian Gobrecht
- Diameter: 15.9 millimeters
- Weight: 1.2 grams
- Content: 90% silver 10% copper
- Edge: Reeded
- Mint Mark Location: Below “DIME” on the reverse
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Type 3 With Stars and Drapery 1840 - 1855
In 1840 Robert Ball Hughes modifided the coin adding extra drapery at Liberty‚s left elbow.
The reason for the modification is unclear. Because both mints made both kinds of coins
(with and without drapery) four different half dimes were minted in 1840.
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Vital Stats.
- Designer:
- Obverse by Thomas Sully modified by Robert Ball Hughes
- Reverse by Christian Gobrecht
- Diameter: 15.9 millimeters
- Weight: 1.2 grams
- Content: 90% silver 10% copper
- Edge: Reeded
- Mint Mark Location: Below "DIME" on the reverse
Type 4 With Arrows at Date (1853-1855) |
Date/
Mint | Circulation
Strikes |
| 1853 | 13,210,020 |
| 1853-O | 2,200,000 |
| 1854 | 5,740,000 |
| 1854-O | 1,560,000 |
| 1855 | 1,750,000 |
| 1855-O | 600,000 |
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Type 4 With Arrows at Date
1853, the price of Gold fell sharply in relationship to silver. This was thanks
to the California gold rush. Silver became worth more than the tender price which
resulted in wide spread melting of silver coins. To combat the melting of silver
half dimes the amount of silver in each coin was slightly reduced. To make these
reduced weight coins easily distinguished from older and heavier coins, Chief Engraver
James B. Longacre added arrowheads on both sides of the date.
The Stars obverse design, without arrows, returned in 1856, the weight remained
the same, and continued until 1860, when the Legend Obverse design debuted.
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Vital Stats.
- Designer:
- Obverse by Thomas Sully modified by Robert Ball Hughes and James B. Longacre
- Reverse by James B. Longacre
- Diameter: 15.9 millimeters
- Weight: 1.2 grams
- Content: 90% silver 10% copper
- Edge: Reeded
- Mint Mark Location: Below "DIME" on the reverse except for the 1872 which could be within or below the wreath on the reverse and the 1873 which is below the wreath.
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Type 5 Legend on Obverse
On the brink of a civil war, the Mint removed the thirteen stars from the obverse
and replaced them with the Legend: THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. Other changes can
be found on the last half dime issue. Liberty‚s arm was reduced, the size of the cap
and the size of the head were both changed.
In 1866 the 5 cent nickel came into being, and met with public approval. 1873 the
5 cent nickel brought the end of the seated liberty half dime and the half dime denomination.
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In addition to the above variations, the Seated Liberty half dime is a collectors
dream. This is because of the many errors on the dates, repunched and recut dates,
over-dates, repunched Mint marks, and large, medium and small dates to name a few
minor variations.
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