1868 Seated Liberty Half Dollar

About This Coin

The 1868 Seated Liberty Half Dollar is a United States half dollar from the Seated Liberty Half Dollars 1839-1891 series — 30th of 53 years in the series. In 1868, coins were struck at the San Francisco and Philadelphia Mints with a combined mintage of 3.3 million. This ranks 32nd of 53 years by total mintage, above 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. Minted during Reconstruction and the Gilded Age, as the nation healed from civil war and debated the role of silver and gold in the monetary system. Weighing 12.4 grams, 30 mm in diameter, with a reeded edge. Across its variants, estimated values range from $145 to $2.7K depending on mint mark, grade, and strike type. A notable auction result reached $44K in PR68 grade at Heritage Auctions. Designed by Thomas Sully/Christian Gobrecht.