1840 Seated Liberty Half Dime

About This Coin

The 1840 Seated Liberty Half Dime is a United States dime from the Seated Liberty Half Dimes 1837-1873 series — an early issue, 4th of 37 years in the series. In 1840, coins were struck at the Philadelphia and New Orleans Mints with a combined mintage of 2.3 million. This ranks 26th 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. Drapery added to Liberty's elbow, creating a new subtype. Struck in 90% silver, 10% copper, weighing 1.34 grams, 15.9 mm in diameter, with a reeded edge. Produced 6 years before the celebrated 1846 key date. Across its variants, estimated values range from $63 to $27K depending on mint mark, grade, and strike type. A notable auction result reached $49K in PR66 grade at Heritage Auctions. Designed by Robert Ball Hughes and Christian Gobrecht.