1883 Seated Liberty Half Dollar
Base
About This Coin
The 1883 Seated Liberty Half Dollar is a United States half dollar from the Seated Liberty Half Dollars 1839-1891 series — a late issue, 45th of 53 years in the series. In 1883, coins were struck at the Philadelphia Mint with a combined mintage of 9,039. This ranks 7th 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 silver, weighing 12.5 grams, 30 mm in diameter, with a reeded edge. Struck one year before the 1884 key date, the lowest-mintage regular issue in the series. Across its variants, estimated values range from $460 to $1.9K depending on mint mark, grade, and strike type. A notable auction result reached $49K in MS67+ grade at David Lawrence RC. 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.
