Seated Liberty Half Dime

The US Mint was established in 1792 and the half dime was the very first denomination struck. The half dime went through several changes over the years and are widely sought after by collectors.

The invention of the steam engine made coins easier to manufacture. In 1837 the scientifically constructed Seated Liberty half dime was created by Christian Gobrecht. In 1840 Miniaturist Robert Ball Hughes re-designed Seated Liberty by adding drapery at her elbow and placed the shield in an upright position.

The design was again changed in 1859 by an engraving assistant, Anthony C. Paquet. He added hollow stars around the Seated Liberty.

The Seated Liberty half dime was redesigned for the last time in 1860 by engraver Longacre. This new design is known as the Legend Obverse type and the seated Liberty is holding a pole that is topped with a Liberty Cap. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA was placed instead of the thirteen stars that surround Liberty on the earlier versions of this coin. Gone was the simple reverse leaf and in its place were sprigs of corn, wheat, oak and maple, all tied with a bow. HALF DIME spelled out on the reverse. This coin was minted in Philadelphia and New Orleans in 1860 and in San Francisco. The mintmark is below the bow except for the San Francisco coins of 1870 through 1872 where it is inside the wreath.

When grading the Seated Liberty half dime pay attention to the hairlines, evidence of cleaning or retooling of the design. Half dimes were used extensively in jewelry during the 1870s and 1880s as tie tacks, buttons, pins and cuff links.