The Seated Liberty Half Dime (1837-1873): A Gem of 19th Century American Coinage

The Seated Liberty Half Dime (1837-1873)

Seated Liberty Half Dime (1837-1873)

The seated half dime is the collectible half dime where Liberty is depicted seated on a rock holding a shield. It is a piece much wanted by dealers as well as collectors. The last to be minted was in 1873 and it is not a series without its share of rarities. As a rule, the coins of the 1860’s are considered rare and there may also be preference for any coins that were struck in New Orleans.

Seated Liberty Half Dimes-What Dealers Pay

Seated Liberty Half Dimes-What Dealers Pay

The quality of a seated half dime affects its value in a big way, accompanied by the year of minting and the mint place. Besides, the type of coin is one of the criteria that determines the value of the coin as well. A sealed half dime of the year 1856 in good circulated condition can be exchanged for between $8 and $10, depending on the dealer. On the other hand, an 1853-O with no arrows might, for instance, be expected to sell for a little short of $1500 per piece. If you have a Seated Half Dime that is, seemingly, in near mint condition, or belongs to a series that is believed to be scarce, you may have your coin professionally graded by one of the coin grading companies such as PCGS or NGC.

Also Read: Top 10 Roosevelt Dime Doubled Die Errors That Are Worth Big Money

If you do get your coin graded by a professional numismatist, you may get a much better idea of just how worn the coin is as well as its real-world value. This makes grading very thorough and rigorous, such that grading companies can identify the fewest blemishes on your coin. Apart from the fact that the graders at the grading company would give positive feedback on the condition of the coin, they would also authenticate the metallic content of the coin.

Seated Half Dime Value is Conditional

You can basically try to physically examine your coin and attempt to make a preliminary guess of what that particular coin can be worth to dealers and coin collectors. You can merely select one of the coin’s features as the point of reference from which to start your comparison. Star-shaped symbols are other aspects of the outer circle that one may consider looking at. If the stars are considerably flattened and eroded, the coin can only be of good quality at best.

Although determining the condition of a coin can be to some degree subjective, there are a few guidelines that, if followed, increase the probability that a certain coin is fine: If the stars are clearly visible, sharp and bright and there is no sign of any wear and tear or any form of erosion on the stars, then the possibility of having the coin in extremely fine form cannot be ruled out.

You will also want to compare all the other features of the coin. A desirable set of factors is one in which the established criteria are closely matched to those of the other traded commodities; this will mean an equivalent house on a par with the other traded coins. For a coin to be graded higher, details and aspects of it must be fresh, with as little wear as possible.

The Seated Half Dime Mintmarks

The Seated Half Dime Mintmarks

There are many rare mintmark and date combinations that exist for this coin series. Philadelphia Mint coins do not have any mintmarks on the outer side of the coin. Mommental mint branches will be marked on a coin accordingly; however, this is not always the case with other types of mints. ‘S’ stands for San Francisco mint, while ‘O’ stands for New Orleans mint. Both of these mintmarks can be seen on the back of the coin, above or below the wreath. Coins with both the ‘S’ mintmark and the ‘O’ mintmark might be even rarer than coins that do not contain any mintmark at all.

Seated Half Dime Values May Rise In The Future

Depending on their age, some editions may be considered scarce, but the Seated Half Dimes might logically become more valuable in the future. Many of these coins have numerous editions today, which can be purchased for a relatively low price and may turn into a good possible starting point for beginning coin collectors hoping for their future price to rise.

DATEGOODFINEEXTREMELY FINEUNCIRCULATED
1837 Seated Liberty Half Dime$40$80$235$500
1838 Seated Liberty Half Dime (No Drapery)$18$28$75$175
1839 Seated Liberty Half Dime (No Drapery)$20$30$75$160
1839 Seated Liberty Half Dime (No Drapery) (O)$20$30$80$170
1840 Seated Liberty Half Dime (No Drapery)$20$30$70$150
1840 Seated Liberty Half Dime (No Drapery) (O)$20$30$85$285
1841 Seated Liberty Half Dime$16$30$75$160
1841 Seated Liberty Half Dime (O)$20$35$110$300
1842 Seated Liberty Half Dime$20$30$80$170
1842 Seated Liberty Half Dime (O)$30$65$525$825
1843 Seated Liberty Half Dime$16$27$75$160
1844 Seated Liberty Half Dime$16$27$75$160
1844 Seated Liberty Half Dime (O)$80$200$1,000$3,000
1845 Seated Liberty Half Dime$16$27$70$150
1846 Seated Liberty Half Dime$350$900$2,750$4,500
1847 Seated Liberty Half Dime$16$27$75$160
1848 Seated Liberty Half Dime$16$27$75$160
1848 Seated Liberty Half Dime (O)$22$35$120$250
1849 Seated Liberty Half Dime$20$30$75$160
1849 Seated Liberty Half Dime (O)$16$27$75$160
1850 Seated Liberty Half Dime$18$28$70$160
1850 Seated Liberty Half Dime (O)$25$40$120$310
1851 Seated Liberty Half Dime$18$28$70$160
1851 Seated Liberty Half Dime (O)$25$35$110$235
1852 Seated Liberty Half Dime$18$28$75$160
1852 Seated Liberty Half Dime (O)$30$75$260$525
1853 Seated Liberty Half Dime (Without Arrows)$35$75$260$500
1853 Seated Liberty Half Dime (Without Arrows) (O)$200$425$2,250$3,500
1853 Seated Liberty Half Dime (With Arrows)$20$30$70$140
1853 Seated Liberty Half Dime (With Arrows) (O)$20$35$70$160
1854 Seated Liberty Half Dime$20$30$65$140
1854 Seated Liberty Half Dime (O)$20$35$75$155
1855 Seated Liberty Half Dime (O)$20$30$65$130
1855 Seated Liberty Half Dime (O)$20$35$175$200
1856 Seated Liberty Half Dime$18$25$65$130
1856 Seated Liberty Half Dime (O)$18$25$110$265
1857 Seated Liberty Half Dime$18$25$65$130
1857 Seated Liberty Half Dime (O)$18$25$70$200
1858 Seated Liberty Half Dime$18$25$65$130
1858 Seated Liberty Half Dime (O)$18$30$80$155
1859 Seated Liberty Half Dime$18$30$80$130
1859 Seated Liberty Half Dime (O)$20$35$130$210
1860 Seated Liberty Half Dime$16$25$50$80
1860 Seated Liberty Half Dime (O)$16$25$50$100
1861 Seated Liberty Half Dime$16$25$50$85
1862 Seated Liberty Half Dime$25$45$65$110
1863 Seated Liberty Half Dime$160$235$475$625
1863 Seated Liberty Half Dime (S)$30$45$160$320
1864 Seated Liberty Half Dime$325$500$925$1,100
1864 Seated Liberty Half Dime (S)$45$100$285$440
1865 Seated Liberty Half Dime$275$425$675$750
1865 Seated Liberty Half Dime (S)$30$50$175$550
1866 Seated Liberty Half Dime$325$425$650$700
1866 Seated Liberty Half Dime (S)$30$50$160$375
1867 Seated Liberty Half Dime$450$625$850$925
1867 Seated Liberty Half Dime (S)$25$50$160$325
1868 Seated Liberty Half Dime$55$120$325$475
1868 Seated Liberty Half Dime (S)$16$30$45$130
1869 Seated Liberty Half Dime$16$30$45$160
1869 Seated Liberty Half Dime (S)$16$30$45$130
1870 Seated Liberty Half Dime$16$25$45$80
1871 Seated Liberty Half Dime$16$25$45$80
1871 Seated Liberty Half Dime (S)$18$32$80$180
1872 Seated Liberty Half Dime$16$25$45$80
1872 Seated Liberty Half Dime (S)$20$30$60$80
1873 Seated Liberty Half Dime$16$25$45$80
1873 Seated Liberty Half Dime (S)$16$25$45$80

FAQs

Q. What is a Seated Liberty half dime?

A. These were the last of the half-dimes that were made out of silver. The design is of Liberty sitting on a rock and holding a shield. It was originally proposed in 1835 and used for the first time on the silver dollar punches of 1836. The series as a whole is divided into several subtypes.

Q. What is the value of a seated liberty dime?

A. A Legend Obverse edition in good condition could be bought by dealers or collectors for approximately $10. A No Stars Obverse type in an uncirculated state may be bought by dealers and collectors for about $741.

Q. How old is the oldest dime?

A. The Mint began the production of these coins in 1796. These were accessible as small silver coins. The coins with the designs from 1796 to 1837 had on the front Liberty and on the back an eagle.

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