1856 Seated Liberty Half Dime
Base
About This Coin
The 1856 Seated Liberty Half Dime is a United States dime from the Seated Liberty Half Dimes 1837-1873 series — 20th of 37 years in the series. In 1856, coins were struck at the Philadelphia and New Orleans Mints with a combined mintage of 6.0 million. This ranks 33rd 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. Arrows removed. Production continued at Philadelphia and New Orleans. Struck in 90% silver, 10% copper, weighing 1.24 grams, 15.9 mm in diameter, with a reeded edge. Produced 10 years after the celebrated 1846 key date. Across its variants, estimated values range from $32 to $4.9K depending on mint mark, grade, and strike type. A notable auction result reached $26K in MS68 grade at Heritage Auctions. Designed by Robert Ball Hughes/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.
