Liberty Seated Half

In 1836, the new Chief Engraver of the US Mint, Christian Gobrecht designed a new Seated Liberty coinage, and it was first struck on the Silver Dollar coins. However, Gobrecht’s designs were not struck in large quantities, so they were essentially patterns.

Gobrecht was pleased with the obverse portrait design and finally settled on a reverse design. This was an important design since it was to be on all silver coinage – half dimes, dimes, quarters, half dollars, and silver dollar coins.

Gobrecht decided to have Miss Liberty seated and facing left. She has a shield being held by her right hand and a liberty pole and cap in her left hand. The shield was inscribed with the word “LIBERTY” and there were seven six-pointed stars to her left and six six-pointed stars to her right with the date below.

The reverse had an eagle as its central theme, also facing left. She had the traditional Union shield on her breast. She had an olive branch in one talon and three arrows in the other. “UNITED STATES OF AMERICA” was above and around her and the denomination “HALF DOL.” was below her. The edge was reeded. Originally, there was no drapery under Miss Liberty’s left arm.

But a few months after the coin had been designed, Gobrecht was ordered to add drapery extending from Miss Liberty’s elbow to her knee and that drapery would stay on her for the rest of her existence. No significant design changes were made again until 1853. This is the Variety-1 Liberty Seated Half Dollar.

In 1853, the amount of silver in the Half Dollar coins was reduced from 13.36 grams to 12.44 grams but the diameter of the coin (30.6 mm) remained the exact same. In order to display the reduction in silver was demonstrated by the use of arrows coming from the date and rays were added around the eagle on the reverse. The 1853 and the 1853-O were the only two coins displaying these arrows and rays. This is the Variety-2 Liberty Seated Half Dollar.

The next variety was the coin with the same weight and amount of silver, with arrows remaining at the date but with the rays removed from the reverse. These coins were struck between 1854 and 1855, at all mints. This is the Variety-3 Liberty Seated Half Dollar.

Between 1856 and 1866, Variety-1 was resumed but the coin had the new standard weight of Variety-2, meaning the reduced weight. This was struck at all mints. The arrows and rays were removed as by this time everyone was aware of the new weights.

In 1866, the major design change was a scroll was added to the reverse, being placed just above the eagle on which was inscribed the Motto “IN GOD WE TRUST” as now had been prescribed by law. This became the Variety-4 coin, and it was minted throughout 1873.

In 1873, the weight of the coins was changed once again – this time increasing to 12.50 grams. Between 1873 and 1874, these Liberty Seated coins were struck with the Arrows again placed by the date. This is the Variety-5 Liberty Seated Half Dollar.

From 1875 to the end of the series in 1891, the Variety-5 coin was resumed, with no arrows or rays and with the new standard weight of Variety-5, 12.50 grams.

Many collectors purchase one of each type of Liberty Seated Half Dollar and it comprises a nice variety subset of these coins.