1879 Seated Liberty Half Dollar
Base
About This Coin
The 1879 Seated Liberty Half Dollar is a United States half dollar from the Seated Liberty Half Dollars 1839-1891 series — 41st of 53 years in the series. In 1879, coins were struck at the Philadelphia Mint with a combined mintage of 5,900. This ranks 5th of 53 years by total mintage, below the series median of 2.1 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 a heraldic eagle with shield on breast, olive branch and arrows in talons, with a banner reading E PLURIBUS UNUM. Struck during the Gilded Age of rapid industrialization and the great silver debates, when monetary policy shaped elections and economic destiny. Struck in other, weighing 12.5 grams, 30 mm in diameter, with a reeded edge. Produced 5 years before the celebrated 1884 key date. Across its variants, estimated values range from $460 to $1.6K depending on mint mark, grade, and strike type. A notable auction result reached $35K in MS68 grade at Bowers & Merena. Designed by Thomas Sully/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.
