1113) Seated Liberty (or "Liberty Seated") Half Dollar, (1839-1891), USA: A Silver Half Dollar minted in 1856 "No-Motto" variant minted by the San Francisco Mint (Mint Mark "S"):
The Seated Liberty Half Dollar:
The Seated Liberty Half Dollar Coin was first introduced in 1839 and was minted until 1891.
The late 1830s were a period of great ferment, progress, growth and change for the US Mint. Steam-powered coinage made its debut in 1836. The first branch mint opened in New Orleans in 1838 and new designs were placed on all the gold and silver coins between 1837 and 1840.
The late 1830s were a period of great ferment, progress, growth and change for the US Mint. Steam-powered coinage made its debut in 1836. The first branch mint opened in New Orleans in 1838 and new designs were placed on all the gold and silver coins between 1837 and 1840.
The Seated Liberty Half Dollar was the second variety of the Half Dollar ever produced, the first one is popular as the Capped Bust Half Dollar.
The new design for the Seated Liberty Half Dollar was based on Britannia, an image which had prominently featured on British coins. Portraitist Thomas Sully made several sketches, which US Mint Assistant Engraver Christian Gobrecht adapted to be suitable for the Obverse and Reverse coin designs. Before presenting this design on the Half-Dollar, it was initially used on the Gobrecht Dollars of 1836, introduced on dimes and half dimes in 1837 and also featured on the quarter dollar in 1838.
On the Reverse of the Gobrecht modified the Reich's heraldic eagle on the Half Dime to the Half Dollar. Except for the half dime (abolished in 1873), the designs continued to be minted for over 50 years.
On the Reverse of the Gobrecht modified the Reich's heraldic eagle on the Half Dime to the Half Dollar. Except for the half dime (abolished in 1873), the designs continued to be minted for over 50 years.
Its neo-classical appearance reflected American artistic taste in the mid-1900s all the way till the threshold of the 20th Century. The design continued to be engraved on three US Mint coins till it was replaced by the Barber design in 1892.
The half dollar was the last of the five coins to get this new design.
The half dollar was the last of the five coins to get this new design.
In 1839, the Philadelphia Mint struck nearly two million Seated Liberty Half Dollars, the first year of issue and these coins came in two major versions - Coins produced from the very first Obverse die showed a larger rock upon which Liberty was seated and no trace of drapery at the crook of elbow, while subsequent strikes all exhibit a fold of drapery there, unless they have undergone excessive were. The No-Drapery pieces are extremely rare.
The Seated liberty half dollars remained in production for more than half a century - 1839-1891 and mintages generally ranged between 500,000 and 2.0 million. These coins were widely used & respected by Americans, whose average weekly pay was below $10 at that time.
The motto "IN GOD WE TRUST" first gained a place during the US Civil War (1861-65) and in 1866, the US Mint added this inscription to the half-dollar, placing it on a banner above the eagle. So for collectors, the most important division is - "No Motto" (like the one in my collection) and "With Motto" specimens.
Two major varieties in the 27 year life-span of the "No-Motto Seated Halves" (Half Dollar varieties) are quite interesting. Both were direct results of the California Gold Rush, which totally upset the delicate balance the US Mint was striving to keep in the relative values of gold and silver in US Coinage.
As huge quantities of gold poured out of California, Gold values dropped in relation to Silver. Soon 200 Half Dollars melted into bullion would buy not $100 in Gold but $106.60. This Gold in turn could be exchanged at face value for more Silver Coins.
By 1853, Silver Coins were worth more as metal than as money and melting of coins became rampant. The Mint was at its wit's end on how to combat this imbalance and finally struck upon the idea of reducing the amount of silver in the coins to restore the balance and to stop minted Silver Half Dollars from being melted by unscrupulous elements. So the overall weight of the Silver Half Dollar got trimmed from 13.36 grams to 12.44 grams.
To bring attention to this change, the Mint placed arrowheads alongside the date and rays around the eagle. The arrows remained in place for three years, but the rays were removed in 1854. This created two significant varieties - the Arrows-and-Rays Half Dollar (1853) and no arrows (1856). Both are very popular coin variants.
To bring attention to this change, the Mint placed arrowheads alongside the date and rays around the eagle. The arrows remained in place for three years, but the rays were removed in 1854. This created two significant varieties - the Arrows-and-Rays Half Dollar (1853) and no arrows (1856). Both are very popular coin variants.
In addition, several changes to the design and specifications resulted in different sub-types to the general series at various points of time:
"No-Motto Seated Liberty Half Dollars were made at two Branch mints - New Orleans ("O" Mint Mark) and San Francisco ("S" Mint Mark). These Mint Marks have been placed below the eagle on these coins. Other variations include - low mintage "No-Motto" small date (1842, "O" Mint Mark), Tall date (1846, "O" Mint Mark, No arrows (1852, 1853 "O" Mint Mark, 1855, 1866 "S" Mint Mark). The 1866 "No-Motto" Philadelphia issues "P" Mint Mark are believed to be unique (as is its companion quarter). Proofs were made for public sale in 1858 and small numbers exist for some of the earlier dates.
Few coins of "No-Motto" Seated Half Dollars are somewhat easily available in grades below/upto Mint State (MS) - 64 (An uncirculated coin with moderate distracting marks or deficiencies. These coins generally have average to above average eye appeal). MS-64 and above graded coins are not so easily available.
"No-Motto Seated Liberty Half Dollars were made at two Branch mints - New Orleans ("O" Mint Mark) and San Francisco ("S" Mint Mark). These Mint Marks have been placed below the eagle on these coins. Other variations include - low mintage "No-Motto" small date (1842, "O" Mint Mark), Tall date (1846, "O" Mint Mark, No arrows (1852, 1853 "O" Mint Mark, 1855, 1866 "S" Mint Mark). The 1866 "No-Motto" Philadelphia issues "P" Mint Mark are believed to be unique (as is its companion quarter). Proofs were made for public sale in 1858 and small numbers exist for some of the earlier dates.
Few coins of "No-Motto" Seated Half Dollars are somewhat easily available in grades below/upto Mint State (MS) - 64 (An uncirculated coin with moderate distracting marks or deficiencies. These coins generally have average to above average eye appeal). MS-64 and above graded coins are not so easily available.
Seated Liberty Half Dollar coins are increasingly becoming very rare and it is difficult to find them in excellent condition as days go by.
The Coin described below has been given to me by my Uncle Shri Kishore Kumar Gupta recently, who has had it in his safe-keeping for over 70 years now and wanted me to have it, seeing my interest in Numismatics.
The Seated Liberty Half Dollar Coin - 1856 in my collection:
The Reverse of the Silver Half Dollar shows Liberty seated on a boulder facing left, holding a "liberty pole" in her left hand topped by a "pileus" (or "Liberty Cap"), the headgear given by the Romans to an emancipated slave. Her right hand rests on a shield with 13 horizontal stripes. On the upper periphery are seen thirteen stars, representing the States which originally jointed the United States of America.
The design/date of minting is seen on the lower periphery "1856", indicating that this coin was minted before the US Civil War (1861-1865) and during the time/aftermath of the California Gold Rush and has been minted with the reduced weight of 12.44 grams (as against the original 13.36 grams). The Diameter/Size of this coin is 30.6 mm. It is a real piece of history which has come to my collection
The Obverse of the Silver Half Dollar shows a left-facing eagle in the centre, with a shield on its chest and an olive branch and a bundle of arrows in its talons.
The inscription on the upper periphery reads - "UNITED STATES OF AMERICA". On the lower periphery is mentioned the denomination of the coin - "HALF DOL." The Mint Mark "S" is of the San Francisco Mint.
An NGC Certified Seated Liberty Half Dollar with a mint error recently realized over $50,000 in an auction:
Interestingly, this Seated Liberty Half dollar coin was struck on a smaller planchet intended for a quarter. The coin, struck between, 1871-1875 at the San Francisco Mint (Mint Mark "S") was recently discovered in a collection in New Jersey.
At the time this coin was struck, the same Seated Liberty design was used on half dimes, dimes, quarters, half dollars and dollars. In the instant case, a 24.3 mm quarter planchet was erroneously used in the half dollar minting process, instead of the usual 30.6 mm half Dollar planchet. The extreme rarity of this coin indicates that such mint errors virtually never occurred.
The error Coin which was minted at the San Francisco Mint. The Reverse bears only 8 stars on the upper periphery, while the Obverse has a truncated name of the issuing country on the upper periphery. The scroll with the motto "IN GOD WE TRUST", indicates that it isa later issue after the US Civil War (1861-1865).
Links:
The Coin described below has been given to me by my Uncle Shri Kishore Kumar Gupta recently, who has had it in his safe-keeping for over 70 years now and wanted me to have it, seeing my interest in Numismatics.
The Seated Liberty Half Dollar Coin - 1856 in my collection:
The design/date of minting is seen on the lower periphery "1856", indicating that this coin was minted before the US Civil War (1861-1865) and during the time/aftermath of the California Gold Rush and has been minted with the reduced weight of 12.44 grams (as against the original 13.36 grams). The Diameter/Size of this coin is 30.6 mm. It is a real piece of history which has come to my collection
The inscription on the upper periphery reads - "UNITED STATES OF AMERICA". On the lower periphery is mentioned the denomination of the coin - "HALF DOL." The Mint Mark "S" is of the San Francisco Mint.
An NGC Certified Seated Liberty Half Dollar with a mint error recently realized over $50,000 in an auction:
Interestingly, this Seated Liberty Half dollar coin was struck on a smaller planchet intended for a quarter. The coin, struck between, 1871-1875 at the San Francisco Mint (Mint Mark "S") was recently discovered in a collection in New Jersey.
At the time this coin was struck, the same Seated Liberty design was used on half dimes, dimes, quarters, half dollars and dollars. In the instant case, a 24.3 mm quarter planchet was erroneously used in the half dollar minting process, instead of the usual 30.6 mm half Dollar planchet. The extreme rarity of this coin indicates that such mint errors virtually never occurred.
Links:
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29) Seated Liberty (or "Liberty Seated") Half Dollar, (1839-1891), USA: A Silver Half Dollar minted in 1856 "No-Motto" variant minted by the San Francisco Mint (Mint Mark "S")
29) Seated Liberty (or "Liberty Seated") Half Dollar, (1839-1891), USA: A Silver Half Dollar minted in 1856 "No-Motto" variant minted by the San Francisco Mint (Mint Mark "S")
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