By Charles Morgan and Hubert Walker for CoinWeek Notes …..
United States Mint Engraver Christian Gobrecht’s Liberty Seated design, based on drawings by artists Titian Peale and Thomas Sully, first debuted on the Gobrecht Dollar in 1836 and on the Liberty Seated Dime and Liberty Seated Half Dime in 1837. Favored by Mint Director Robert M. Patterson, it is similar to the Britannia designs used on English coins. Britannia, the personified goddess of the island empire, was depicted as a young woman wearing a helmet, wrapped in a garment, holding either a spear or a standard, and often seated with a shield for support. Here, Liberty–the personification of the United States–is depicted sitting, holding a federal shield and a pole on which a pileus hangs. The obverse is uncluttered by the stars that would be added in 1840 and better preserved examples sometimes have a Cameo frost on the devices.
Additionally, the mass of the new Liberty Seated Half Dime was reduced by a minuscule 0.01 gram to account for the adjustment of the silver content to .900 fine.
Political expediency and a desire for coinage uniformity limited production of this type to two years. Objections were raised about the lack of stars, which were included on the previous half dime to signify the 13 original states.
In 1838, to conform to the Mint’s policy of using similar designs on coins of the same metal, stars were added to the Liberty Seated Quarter, Dime, and Half Dime. It is interesting that although the 1838 New Orleans issue has no stars and was produced from dies provided by the Philadelphia Mint, the 1838 Philadelphia half dime does have stars.
How Much Are No Stars Liberty Seated Half Dimes Worth?
The 1837 issue must have been popular with the general public, as many were saved.
Just over 3,000 circulation strike No Stars Liberty Seated Half Dimes have been certified, and fewer than 200 of those are 1838-dated coins from the New Orleans Mint.
Prices are moderate for 1837 Liberty Seated Half Dimes up to near-Gem, with MS64 bringing about $1,500. In Gem and finer, prices range from $3,000 at MS65 to $20,000 or more in MS67. 1838-O Liberty Seated Half Dimes are expensive as About Uncirculated through low Mint State, becoming very expensive as Select Gem or finer. An MS64 example graded by PCGS sold for $21,600 in August 2023. Historic auction prices for coins graded finer approach $50,000.
All 1837 Liberty Seated Half Dime Proofs are expensive and seldom offered. Prices realized over the past 10 years show that the 1837 Proof sells for about the same amount as the 1838-O business strike.
Exclusive Coverage on CoinWeek
- Key Date Coins for Less Than $2,500, Pt. 2: Half Dimes
- Classic U.S. Coins for Less Than $500 Each, Part 31: Liberty Seated Half Dimes
CoinWeek contributor Greg Reynolds discusses the No Stars Liberty Seated Half Dime in two of his series of coin-collecting tips and strategies.
No Stars Liberty Seated Half Dime Design
Obverse:
A full-length representation of Liberty wears long, flowing robes and is seated on a rock, head turned back to her right. Her left arm is bent and holds a pole topped by a Liberty cap. Liberty’s right arm extends down at her side, hand supporting a Union shield across which is a curved banner displaying the word LIBERTY. The date is centered at the bottom, below the rock upon which Liberty rests. A circle of denticles lies inside the raised rim.
Reverse:
The reverse has a circle formed by the legend UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, broken at the bottom by the ribbon that ties the ends of two laurel branches. The branches form another circle inside the text, though the ends are slightly separated at the top. In the middle is the denomination HALF DIME, each word on a separate line. A circle of denticles lies inside the raised rim. No Stars Half Dimes were produced at Philadelphia and New Orleans; the O mintmark is located below DIME and above the bows of the ribbon.
Edge:
The edge of the No Stars Liberty Seated Half Dime is reeded.
Varieties
There are two major varieties: the 1837 Large Date (showing a vertical peak on the “1” and the date in a curved line) and Small Date (showing a flat top on the “1” and the date in a straighter line).
Coin Specifications
| Liberty Seated Dime, No Obverse Stars | |
| Years of Issue: | 1837-38 |
| Mintage (Business Strikes): | High: 1,405,000 (1837); Low: 70,000 (1838-O) |
| Mintage (Proofs): | 20 (1837, estimated) |
| Alloy: | .900 silver, .100 copper |
| Weight: | ±1.34 g |
| Diameter: | ±15.50 mm |
| Edge: | Reeded |
| OBV Designer: | Christian Gobrecht, from sketches by Titian Peale/Thomas Sully |
| REV Designer: | Christian Gobrecht |
* * *
Additional References
Bowers, Q. David. The Experts Guide to Collecting and Investing in Rare Coins. Whitman Publishing.
–. A Guide Book of United States Type Coins. Whitman Publishing.
Breen, Walter. Walter Breen’s Encyclopedia of U.S. Coins. Doubleday.
Guth, Ron, and Jeff Garrett. United States Coinage: A Study by Type. Whitman Publishing.
Taxay, Don. The U.S. Mint and Coinage. Arco Publishing.
Yeoman, R.S., and Jeff Garrett (editor). The Official Red Book: A Guide Book of United States Coins. Whitman Publishing.
* * *
