1838 Seated Liberty Half Dime
Base
About This Coin
The 1838 Seated Liberty Half Dime is a United States dime from the Seated Liberty Half Dimes 1837-1873 series — the second year of the series. In 1838, coins were struck at the New Orleans and Philadelphia Mints with a combined mintage of 4.5 million. This ranks 31st of 37 years by total mintage, above the series median of 1.6 million. The obverse features Liberty seated on a rock, holding a pole surmounted by a Phrygian liberty cap in her left hand and a shield inscribed LIBERTY in her right and the reverse displays an agricultural wreath enclosing the denomination. Stars added to the obverse. New Orleans joined Philadelphia in half dime production. Struck in 90% silver, 10% copper, weighing 1.34 grams, 15.9 mm in diameter, with a reeded edge. Produced 8 years before the celebrated 1846 key date. Across its variants, estimated values range from $40 to $15K depending on mint mark, grade, and strike type. A notable auction result reached $182K in PR66* grade at Heritage Auctions. Designed by Robert Ball Hughes and Christian Gobrecht.
Value Estimates
Values as of May 2026 — range across all strike types, reflecting typical grades (G-4 through MS-63). Coins in lower or exceptional grades may fall outside this range.
