Values
A Seated Liberty half’s market depends on the date, the mint mark, the type, and the grade. This page is a series reference, not a price list.
The G, VF, and MS-63 columns sit in the mintage chart below. Those figures are from the NGC US Coin Price Guide, retrieved 2026-08-23. They are a published guide, not an offer and not melt. A blank cell means that grade was not printed in this pass.
A dealer looking at the coin in hand will beat a guide number. If you are trying to sell a pile of them, start with how to sell a coin collection and the Ohio coin dealer directory.
Key Dates
PCGS CoinFacts and NGC named no traditional key-date list for this series in this pass. This page will not invent one. Do not call every low printed mintage a key.
There is no key-date bolding on the mintage chart for that reason. A worn common date is still worn.
Errors
These are named varieties. This page will not invent a count.
Drapery, arrows, rays, and motto. Those are type changes across the run. They are not errors.
1873 Closed 3 / Open 3 / arrows. NGC printed separate mintages. They already have their own rows in the chart below.
1866-S no motto versus motto. NGC printed both. They sit on their own lines.
Compare the coin in hand to the NGC Coin Explorer Seated half page. We do not host their plates.
Varieties
Drapery, arrows, rays, and the motto are type changes. NGC already prints 1839 both ways, 1866-S no motto and motto, and the 1873 Closed 3, Open 3, and arrows rows. This page does not list every die marriage.
- 1839 no drapery and with draperyBoth are rows. The drapery at the elbow is the type, not an error.
- Arrows and raysThe weight-change reverse adds arrows, and 1853 also adds rays. Later arrows dates are a different look from the rays year.
- With mottoIN GOD WE TRUST arrives in 1866. 1866-S exists both without the motto and with it. NGC printed both.
Names follow PCGS CoinFacts and NGC, the same publishers this site already cites. This is a name list, not a price list and not a count.
Mintage
Seated Liberty halves were struck at Philadelphia, New Orleans, San Francisco, and Carson City. The counts below are the NGC Coin Explorer cells that printed a mintage in this pass.
| Year | Mint | Mintage | NGC ID | G | VF | MS-63 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1839 | P No Drapery | 100,000 No drapery from the elbow. The other 1839-P row is the drapery hub. | — | — | — | — |
| 1839 | P | 1,972,400 | — | — | — | — |
| 1840 | P | 1,435,008 | 16233 | $55 | $140 | $1,800 |
| 1841 | P | 310,000 | 16236 | $60 | $210 | $2,875 |
| 1841 | O | 401,000 | 16237 | $65 | $175 | $4,250 |
| 1842 | O Medium Date | 754,000 | 16242 | $55 | $150 | $5,900 |
| 1842 | O SMALL DATE | 203,000 | 16238 | $825 | $2,300 | $52,500 |
| 1843 | P | 3,844,000 | 16243 | $55 | $115 | $1,975 |
| 1843 | O | 2,268,000 | 16244 | $65 | $135 | $3,700 |
| 1844 | P | 1,766,000 | 16245 | $55 | $125 | $2,400 |
| 1844 | O | 2,005,000 | 16246 | $55 | $150 | $4,100 |
| 1845 | P | 589,000 | 16248 | $65 | $225 | $4,500 |
| 1845 | O | 2,094,000 | 16249 | $55 | $170 | $3,375 |
| 1846 | P | 2,210,000 | — | — | — | — |
| 1846 | O | 2,304,000 | — | — | — | — |
| 1847 | P | 1,156,000 | 16257 | $55 | $135 | $2,400 |
| 1847 | O | 2,584,000 | 16259 | $55 | $125 | $3,750 |
| 1848 | P | 580,000 | 16260 | $55 | $200 | $2,900 |
| 1848 | O | 3,180,000 | 16261 | $55 | $135 | $3,050 |
| 1849 | P | 1,252,000 | 16262 | $55 | $110 | $2,200 |
| 1849 | O | 2,310,000 | 16263 | $60 | $110 | $2,600 |
| 1850 | P | 227,000 | 16264 | $350 | $875 | $4,125 |
| 1850 | O | 2,456,000 | 16265 | $55 | $110 | $1,700 |
| 1851 | P | 200,750 | 16266 | $550 | $1,350 | $5,250 |
| 1851 | O | 402,000 | 16267 | $95 | $260 | $2,800 |
| 1852 | P | 77,130 | 16268 | $600 | $1,380 | $4,200 |
| 1852 | O | 144,000 | 16269 | $115 | $875 | $11,000 |
| 1853 | O | 1,328,000 | 16276 | $75 | $175 | $8,700 |
| 1854 | P | 2,982,000 | 16279 | $60 | $125 | $1,850 |
| 1854 | O | 5,240,000 | 16280 | $60 | $125 | $2,100 |
| 1855 | P | 759,500 | 16281 | $55 | $125 | $2,250 |
| 1855 | S | 129,950 | 16284 | $725 | $2,450 | $46,000 |
| 1855 | O | 3,688,000 | 16283 | $55 | $115 | $1,800 |
| 1856 | P | 938,000 | 16287 | $55 | $125 | $1,450 |
| 1856 | S | 211,000 | 16289 | $90 | $550 | $15,000 |
| 1856 | O | 2,658,000 | 16288 | $60 | $125 | $1,550 |
| 1857 | P | 1,988,000 | 16290 | $55 | $120 | $1,200 |
| 1857 | S | 158,000 | 16292 | $100 | $540 | $21,000 |
| 1857 | O | 818,000 | 16291 | $55 | $115 | $4,150 |
| 1858 | P | 4,225,700 | 16293 | $55 | $125 | $1,300 |
| 1858 | S | 476,000 | 16295 | $75 | $190 | $4,650 |
| 1858 | O | 7,294,000 | 16294 | $60 | $125 | $1,400 |
| 1859 | P | 747,200 | 16296 | $55 | $125 | $1,400 |
| 1859 | S | 566,000 | 16298 | $70 | $200 | $3,950 |
| 1859 | O | 2,834,000 | 16297 | $60 | $125 | $2,000 |
| 1860 | P | 302,700 | 16299 | $60 | $120 | $1,550 |
| 1860 | S | 472,000 | 16301 | $80 | $225 | $4,750 |
| 1861 | P | 2,887,400 | 16302 | $65 | $135 | $1,180 |
| 1861 | O | 1,290,000 | 16306 | $70 | $200 | $3,650 |
| 1862 | P | 253,000 | 16307 | $85 | $250 | $1,700 |
| 1862 | S | 1,352,000 | 16308 | $52 | $120 | $2,600 |
| 1863 | P | 503,200 | 16309 | $55 | $140 | $1,550 |
| 1863 | S | 916,000 | 16310 | $40 | $110 | $2,750 |
| 1864 | P | 379,100 | 16311 | $55 | $275 | $1,900 |
| 1864 | S | 658,000 | 16312 | $73 | $260 | $4,650 |
| 1865 | P | 511,400 | 16313 | $60 | $245 | $2,125 |
| 1866 | P | 744,900 | 16319 | $42 | $125 | $2,400 |
| 1866 | S MOTTO | 994,000 | 16320 | $40 | $155 | $3,200 |
| 1866 | S NO MOTTO | 60,000 | 16315 | $575 | $1,500 | $20,500 |
| 1867 | S | 1,196,000 | 16322 | $40 | $125 | $3,750 |
| 1868 | P | 417,600 | 16323 | $65 | $200 | $2,100 |
| 1868 | S | 1,160,000 | 16324 | $60 | $135 | $3,000 |
| 1869 | P | 795,300 | 16325 | $40 | $105 | $1,700 |
| 1869 | S | 656,000 | 16326 | $40 | $120 | $3,200 |
| 1870 | P | 633,900 | 16327 | $35 | $105 | $1,610 |
| 1870 | S | 1,004,000 | 16329 | $40 | $185 | $4,750 |
| 1870 | CC | 54,617 | 16328 | $2,750 | $8,500 | $320,000 |
| 1871 | P | 1,203,600 | 16330 | $45 | $80 | $1,350 |
| 1871 | S | 2,178,000 | 16332 | $45 | $75 | $2,450 |
| 1872 | P | 880,600 | 16333 | $45 | $80 | $2,500 |
| 1872 | S | 580,000 | 16335 | $55 | $175 | $3,900 |
| 1872 | CC | 272,000 | 16334 | $250 | $1,300 | $75,000 |
| 1873 | P ARROWS | 1,815,150 | 16343 | $60 | $130 | $2,150 |
| 1873 | P Closed 3 NO ARROWS | 587,000 | 16336 | $62 | $120 | $1,680 |
| 1873 | P Open 3 NO ARROWS | 214,200 | 16337 | $3,500 | $6,700 | $73,500 |
| 1873 | S | 228,000 | 16345 | $80 | $285 | $8,250 |
| 1873 | CC ARROWS | 214,560 | 16344 | $470 | $1,750 | $24,750 |
| 1873 | CC NO ARROWS | 122,500 | 16338 | $575 | $1,800 | $34,500 |
| 1874 | P | 2,359,600 | 16346 | $45 | $135 | $2,100 |
| 1874 | S | 394,000 | 16348 | $60 | $290 | $4,000 |
| 1874 | CC | 59,000 | 16347 | $1,330 | $4,450 | $35,000 |
| 1875 | P | 6,026,800 | 16349 | $40 | $80 | $1,000 |
| 1875 | S | 3,200,000 | 16351 | $42 | $80 | $925 |
| 1875 | CC | 1,008,000 | 16350 | $85 | $280 | $3,400 |
| 1876 | CC | 1,956,000 | 16353 | $70 | $260 | $2,500 |
| 1877 | P | 8,304,000 | 16355 | $40 | $80 | $915 |
| 1877 | CC | 1,420,000 | 16356 | $55 | $260 | $2,200 |
| 1878 | P | 1,377,600 | 16358 | $42 | $110 | $1,525 |
| 1878 | S | 12,000 | 16360 | $50,000 | $66,000 | $177,500 |
| 1878 | CC | 62,000 | 16359 | $1,530 | $3,000 | $24,500 |
| 1881 | P | 10,000 | 16363 | $390 | $700 | $1,550 |
| 1882 | P | 4,400 | 16364 | $475 | $740 | $1,800 |
| 1883 | P | 8,000 | 16365 | $400 | $660 | $1,680 |
| 1885 | P | 5,200 | 16367 | $475 | $775 | $1,830 |
| 1886 | P | 5,000 | 16368 | $520 | $775 | $1,630 |
| 1887 | P | 5,000 | 16369 | $525 | $775 | $1,730 |
| 1888 | P | 12,001 | 16370 | $425 | $685 | $1,580 |
| 1889 | P | 12,000 | 16371 | $425 | $680 | $1,600 |
| 1890 | P | 12,000 | 16372 | $400 | $675 | $1,540 |
| 1891 | P | 200,000 | 16373 | $60 | $180 | $1,280 |
Mintage: NGC Coin Explorer, retrieved 2026-08-23. A blank year in the prose is a year NGC did not print. These are Explorer manufacture figures, not a Red Book net or melt.
Collector-standard year/mint presentation follows A Guide Book of United States Coins (the Red Book). These cells are Mint manufacture figures, not a Red Book net or melt.
Values: NGC US Coin Price Guide, retrieved 2026-08-23. Guide values, not offers. Not melt. NGC IDs link to the same publisher’s price-guide listing.
Key date names: NGC Coin Explorer. Bold rows are only dates that publisher named.
NGC ID: NGC Coin Explorer listing number, retrieved 2026-08-21. A dash means this pass did not record an ID.
1839 no drapery, 1839 with drapery, 1846-P, and 1846-O are the Wikipedia figures. Other years NGC left blank stay off the chart. The grade columns in the same box are NGC guide values from 2026-08-23, not an offer.
Read the date. Read the mint mark. Look at Liberty’s breast and the eagle before you argue type.
Specifications
These are mint specs, not what a dealer pays. Wear can take a little weight off. We will not invent a tolerance.
A Seated Liberty half is the historic .900 silver half. Drapery and arrows are type changes. Weight changes when the standard changes.
| Specification | Figure |
|---|---|
| Diameter | 30.6 mm |
| Thickness | 2.15 mm |
| Weight | 13.36 g early; 12.44 g arrows; 12.5 g later |
| Composition | 90% silver, 10% copper |
| Fine silver | 0.36169 troy oz (12.5 g years only). Melt math uses this figure. It does not appraise a coin. |
| Edge | Reeded |
| Designer | Christian Gobrecht |
Thickness 2.15 mm and diameter 30.6 mm are the Numista Seated half type page (N#15174). Weights move from 13.36 g to 12.44 g (arrows) to 12.5 g. Fine silver 0.36169 troy oz is the 12.5 g .900 years only.
Grading
A Seated Liberty half wears first on Liberty’s head and breast, and on the eagle. Drapery, arrows, rays, and the motto are type changes, not grades.
This is the historic .900 silver half. Bag marks show up on the fields. White is not a grade.
Key Diagnostic Areas
| Area | What to examine | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Liberty’s head and breast | The head, the cap, and the drape over the chest. | Those high points flatten while the rock can still look busy. |
| The eagle | The breast and the shield on the reverse. | The breast goes slick while the wings can still look busy. |
| Date, arrows, and mint mark | The numerals, arrows at the date when they are there, and the mint mark. | Arrows are a type, not a grade. A worn date is a worn half. |
| Motto and drapery | Whether IN GOD WE TRUST is on the reverse, and whether drapery hangs from the elbow. | Motto versus no motto and drapery versus no drapery are type changes. |
Circulated & Mint State
These cards describe this coin, not a second copy of the P-1 through MS-70 chart. The shared numbers live on the glossary.
See graded photos. The photos that show what VF looks like live at PCGS. We do not host their plates. NGC Coin Explorer is another look if you want a second set.
What each named grade looks like on this design.
Poor
Poor
A disk you can still call a Seated Liberty half dollar if you already know the type.
- Liberty’s breast and the eagle’s breast are gone.
- The date may be a shadow. Do not scrape it.
- Shine does not make this a better coin.
AG
About Good
You might read a digit. The high points on this Seated Liberty half dollar are already slick.
- Liberty’s breast and the eagle’s breast are worn to a blank patch.
- If you cannot read the date without hoping, stay here.
- A 1877-S is still this grade if it is this worn.
Good
Good
The date is readable. The design is still mostly an outline.
- Liberty’s breast and the eagle’s breast are flat. The type is an outline, not a portrait.
- The rim should be full enough to hold the legend.
- This is a worn coin, not a details story.
VG
Very Good
The date is clear. A little life returns away from the high points.
- Some leftover detail sits away from liberty’s breast and the eagle’s breast.
- The high points are still tired.
- Do not clean the date to “see it better.”
Fine
Fine
You can follow the design. The high points are outlined, not sharp.
- Liberty’s breast and the eagle’s breast are outlined and flat — no real sharpness yet.
- The rest of the coin can look busier than the grade.
- The date should be clear. The mint mark should be too, if there is one.
VF
Very Fine
The type is doing real work. Liberty’s breast and the eagle’s breast still decide.
- Leftover detail sits on liberty’s breast and the eagle’s breast. The centers are still the worn spot.
- Marks do not raise the grade.
- A regular 1877-S is still this grade if it is this worn.
EF
Extremely Fine
Most of the coin looks sharp. The high points tell on it.
- Light wear on liberty’s breast and the eagle’s breast.
- The rest of the coin can look better than the grade. Trust the high points.
- The date should be sharp.
AU
About Uncirculated
Almost no wear — and “almost” lives on the same high points.
- A trace of rub on liberty’s breast and the eagle’s breast.
- Luster may still sit in the fields. Rub on those high points is still rub.
- A bright coin with a slick high point is still slick.
Basal MS
Mint State
No wear. The fight is marks and luster, not how white the coin looks.
- No rub on liberty’s breast and the eagle’s breast.
- Marks and luster decide how this mint-state coin lives.
- A bright chewed-up coin is still chewed-up.
Choice
Choice Mint State
Still no wear. Cleaner fields than basal mint state.
- Same no-wear rule on liberty’s breast and the eagle’s breast.
- Fewer marks in the fields. Luster is more intact.
- White is not a grade.
Gem
Gem Mint State
A clean Seated Liberty half dollar for this type. Still mint state, still not a story.
- No wear on liberty’s breast and the eagle’s breast.
- Marks and luster, not a romance about a date or a white field.
- A slab is an opinion in plastic. The glossary has the numbers.
Proof Seated halves exist for part of the run. This page does not invent a PR price grid. The proof numbers live on the glossary.
Copper color designations (BN, RB, RD) do not apply here. See the Lincoln Wheat cent and the glossary.
Overview
A Seated Liberty half dollar is a United States fifty-cent coin with Liberty seated on the front and an eagle on the back. Collectors mean the coins struck from 1839 through 1891. People also call it the Gobrecht half. Both names point at the same seated design.
People like them because the type still reads across a table and the mint marks give you something to chase. They are also easy to ruin. A wiped silver half looks “better” to a seller and worse to everyone else.
This page is a series article, not a shop listing.
History
The series starts in 1839. Drapery, arrows, rays, and the motto arrive in turn. Barber coinage begins in 1892. This page stops at 1891.
This page will not invent a shop list or a missing-year mintage to fill the chart.
Design
Obverse: Liberty seated with a cap and shield, the date, and UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. Reverse: an eagle with a shield, and — on later types — IN GOD WE TRUST. The mint mark sits below the eagle when the coin is not from Philadelphia.
Look at Liberty’s breast, the eagle’s breast, and the date. Those spots go flat first. Arrows are a type call.
People Also Ask
What years are Seated Liberty half dollars?
Circulation Seated Liberty halves were struck from 1839 through 1891. Not every mint struck every year. NGC business strikes stay as printed. 1839 and 1846, which NGC left blank, are Wikipedia figures. Other blank years stay off the chart.
How much is a Seated Liberty half worth?
It depends on the date, the mint mark, the type, and the grade. The G, VF, and MS-63 columns in the mintage chart are NGC guide values from 2026-08-23, not an offer. A dealer looking at the actual coin will beat a guide number.
Why do some years look different?
No drapery, drapery, arrows, rays, and the motto are type changes. They are not errors. Weight changes when the standard changes.
Why are some dates missing?
1839 no drapery and 1839 with drapery are separate rows. 1846 Philadelphia and New Orleans are on the chart. Those four are Wikipedia figures. Other years NGC left blank still stay off. This page will not invent a count.
Is this the same as a Walking Liberty half?
No. This is Gobrecht’s seated Liberty, 1839 through 1891. Walking Liberty is a later series and is not this page. A Bicentennial Kennedy half is also a different series.
Is the Seated Liberty dime or quarter on this page?
No. This page is the half. The dime and the quarter each have their own page and their own mintage table.
Collector Considerations
Buy the coin, not the story. A common late date in a high grade can cost more than a better date that has already lost its breast. That is normal.
If you inherited a box, do not scrub the date to “see it better.” Keep them in the holders they arrived in, or in cheap cardboard flips, and take the box to a person who sees Seated silver every week. The coin dealer directory starts in Ohio. This site does not invent shop names to fill a paragraph.
Raw coins are fine. So are slabs. What is not fine is a coin that has been cleaned until the fields look like glass, then offered as “original.”
If you collect by type, one honest circulated later-date half will teach you the eagle. For the dime and quarter of the same design, read the Seated Liberty dime and the Seated Liberty quarter. For a later silver dollar, read the Morgan dollar.
A Final Word
Seated halves reward people who slow down. Read the date. Read the mint mark. Leave the polish under the sink.
When you want the matching dime, the Seated Liberty dime is already here.