1862 Seated Liberty Half Dime
Base
About This Coin
The 1862 Seated Liberty Half Dime is a United States dime from the Seated Liberty Half Dimes 1837-1873 series — 26th of 37 years in the series. In 1862, coins were struck at the Philadelphia Mint with a combined mintage of 1.5 million. This ranks 17th of 37 years by total mintage, below 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. Produced during the Civil War, when coin hoarding caused severe shortages and the Mint experimented with new compositions to keep coins in circulation. Struck in 90% silver, 10% copper, weighing 1.24 grams, 15.9 mm in diameter, with a reeded edge. Collectors have identified one known die variety for this date (atypical die clash). Across its variants, estimated values range from $40 to $668 depending on mint mark, grade, and strike type. A notable auction result reached $11K in MS68 grade at Heritage Auctions. Designed by James Barton Longacre.
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.
