Liberty Seated Half Dollar

Liberty Seated half dollars turn one long-lived design into seven catalog types through drapery, arrows, rays, a new motto, and a second weight change.

This guide covers the normalized 1839–1891 Liberty Seated half dollar types and their Philadelphia, New Orleans, San Francisco, and Carson City issues.

Core specifications

Issue period

1839–1891

Catalog mints

4

Reported catalog mintage

154,240,379

Composition

90% Silver - 10% Copper

Diameter

30.6 mm

Weight

Varies by type

A stable emblem records a changing nation

Christian Gobrecht's seated Liberty survived for more than half a century, but legislation and production needs repeatedly changed the coin around her. Drapery, arrows at the date, rays around the eagle, and IN GOD WE TRUST mark major type boundaries.

Branch mints carried the design west and south. Civil War disruption, the 1873 weight increase, scarce Carson City issues, and low-production final years divide the series into distinct collecting eras.

Obverse, reverse, and the details that identify the type

Confirm the major design, date, and mint mark before studying smaller die differences.

The main portrait and date

Liberty sits on a rock holding a shield and liberty pole. Drapery and arrows beside the date identify several major types.

Denomination, subject, and mint mark

An eagle with shield holds arrows and an olive branch. Rays identify the 1853 subtype, while IN GOD WE TRUST appears above the eagle beginning with the later motto type.

Where the cataloged coins were made

Totals are calculated from reported issue records in this catalog; unknown figures are not counted as zero.

• P — Philadelphia: 1839, 1840, 1841, 1842, 1843, 1844, 1845, 1846, 1847, 1848, 1849, 1850, 1851, 1852, 1853, 1854, 1855, 1856, 1857, 1858, 1859, 1860, 1861, 1862, 1863, 1864, 1865, 1866, 1867, 1868, 1869, 1870, 1871, 1872, 1873, 1874, 1875, 1876, 1877, 1878, 1879, 1880, 1881, 1882, 1883, 1884, 1885, 1886, 1887, 1888, 1889, 1890, 1891; 72,185,565. Philadelphia issues commonly carry no P mint mark in classic series; confirm the expected blank area rather than searching for a letter.
• O — New Orleans: 1840, 1841, 1842, 1843, 1844, 1845, 1846, 1847, 1848, 1849, 1850, 1851, 1852, 1853, 1854, 1855, 1856, 1857, 1858, 1859, 1860, 1861; 48,642,737. Confirm the O mint mark together with its expected year, position, and issue format.
• S — San Francisco: 1855, 1856, 1857, 1858, 1859, 1860, 1861, 1862, 1863, 1864, 1865, 1866, 1867, 1868, 1869, 1870, 1871, 1872, 1873, 1874, 1875, 1876, 1877, 1878; 28,104,450. Confirm the S mint mark together with its expected year, position, and issue format.
• CC — Carson City: 1870, 1871, 1872, 1873, 1874, 1875, 1876, 1877, 1878; 5,307,627. Confirm the CC mint mark together with its expected year, position, and issue format.

Representative issues that explain the series

Build the seven major types before attempting a date-and-mint set; branch-mint and Civil War issues deserve separate planning.

• 1853 O - No Arrows - No Rays — 4. Open the issue page and read this record together with its type, mint, finish, and grade context.
• 1866 P - Unique Proof - Not Regular Issue — 1. Open the issue page and read this record together with its type, mint, finish, and grade context.
• 1873 S - No Arrows — 5,000. Open the issue page and read this record together with its type, mint, finish, and grade context.
• 1884 P — 5,275. Open the issue page and read this record together with its type, mint, finish, and grade context.

Start with the major type, then study smaller die differences

The current catalog records 6 varieties. A variety name describes repeatable die features; it does not automatically mean error, rarity, or added value.

The issue catalog keeps all 6 modeled varieties attached to their parent issue records.

Issue catalog

From one type coin to a complete catalog

• One representative coin: Choose one problem-free, readable example and learn the size, edge, and major design.
• Major-type set: Use one coin per major design to show changes in artwork, composition, or production.
• Dates and mints: Work through the issue catalog by date and mint, defining special finishes separately.
• Variety study: Choose one date or diagnostic family and record several matching markers for every attribution.

A note on catalog records

This page uses 124 issue records, 6 modeled varieties, and currently reported mintages; unknown values remain unknown.

Sources

1. The Evolution of Liberty on U.S. Coins — United States Mint
2. Half Dollar Coins — United States Mint
3. Liberty Seated Half Dollar category reference — PCGS CoinFacts