Seated Liberty Half Dime
347+ LuckyCoin collectors track this series
Spanning 1837 to 1873, the Seated Liberty Half Dime catalog contains 97 year-and-mintmark variants. Across the series, the key date is the 1859 Seated Liberty Half Dime at just 20 struck and the highest-value variant is the 1846 Seated Liberty Half Dime at up to $60,000 in top grade.
Seated Liberty Half Dime · All Strikes Mintage by Year
Peak 16MCombined mintage per year across every strike type (circulated, proof, and specimen) and all mintmarks.
About the Seated Liberty Half Dime
The Seated Liberty Half Dime, also known as the “Martha Washington Half Dime”, is a United States coin that was produced by the U.S. Mint from 1837 to 1873. The coin has a face value of five cents and is composed of a combination of copper and nickel (the copper is coated with silver to create an appearance of a silver coin).
The design of the coin depicts Liberty seated on a rocky outcropping, dressed in classic Grecian attire and holding a Liberty pole in her right hand with a shield bearing the inscription, "Liberty" in her left. On the reverse side, the coin bears an eagle surrounded by a wreath of laurel.
The coin was designed by Christian Gobrecht and is considered to be among the most beautiful of U.S. coins from its time. It is also considered to be a valuable collectible, with the rarer dates commanding prices that are many times their face value.
The Seated Liberty Half Dime is a coin that was struck for some 36 years. Minted in Philadelphia, New Orleans, San Francisco, and Carson City, the Seated Liberty Half Dime is a reminder of an earlier time when the United States was still in its infancy. The coin carries a rich history and is a testament to the values that this time period was built on. Therefore, it is a coin that commands considerable respect, particularly among coin collectors.
Most-collected Seated Liberty Half Dime coins on LuckyCoin
Looking for coins from a specific year across every denomination? Browse US coin values by year →
Which Seated Liberty Half Dime coins do collectors actually own? See the 2026 rarity & ownership report →
Frequently Asked Questions
- When was the Seated Liberty Half Dime minted?
- The Seated Liberty Half Dime was minted by United States from 1837 to 1873.
- How many Seated Liberty Half Dime coins were minted?
- Across every year and mintmark, approximately 84,227,215 Seated Liberty Half Dime coins were struck.
- What mintmarks exist for the Seated Liberty Half Dime?
- Seated Liberty Half Dime coins were struck with the following mintmarks: O, S. Some years were also produced without a mintmark.
- What is the Seated Liberty Half Dime made of?
- The Seated Liberty Half Dime is made of silver (.900) (.100 copper), weighs 1.24 grams, and measures 15.5 mm in diameter.
- How much is a Seated Liberty Half Dime worth?
- Value depends on year, mintmark, and condition. Common dates in average circulated condition trade for near face value, while the rarest varieties in top grade can fetch up to $60,000. See individual year pages for grade-by-grade estimates.