1851 Seated Liberty Half Dime
Base
About This Coin
The 1851 Seated Liberty Half Dime is a United States dime from the Seated Liberty Half Dimes 1837-1873 series — 15th of 37 years in the series. In 1851, coins were struck at the New Orleans and Philadelphia Mints with a combined mintage of 1.6 million. This ranks 19th of 37 years by total mintage, at 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. Struck during the California Gold Rush era, when vast quantities of western gold transformed the American economy and led to new denominations. Struck in 90% silver, 10% copper, weighing 1.34 grams, 15.9 mm in diameter, with a reeded edge. Produced 5 years after the celebrated 1846 key date. Across its variants, estimated values range from $33 to $1.2K depending on mint mark, grade, and strike type. A notable auction result reached $17K in MS67+ 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.
