U.S. Mint coin reference

1839–1853: Liberty Seated Half Dollar (Variety 1: No Motto)

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Toned 1839 Liberty Seated half dollar No Motto, obverse left and reverse right

Coin specifications and design

Years made: 1839-1853

Country: United States

Denomination: Half dollar

Category: Circulating coin

Composition: 90% silver, 10% copper

Silver fineness: 90%

Silver weight: Approx. 0.3866 oz ASW

Weight: 13.36 g

Diameter: 30.6 mm

Thickness: Approx. 2.15 mm

Edge: Reeded

Designer: Christian Gobrecht

Design identification

Obverse: Liberty seated on a rock holding shield and pole.

Reverse: Heraldic eagle with shield, olive branch, and arrows; the reverse has no IN GOD WE TRUST ribbon.

1839–1853: Liberty Seated Half Dollar (Variety 1: No Motto) history

1839–1853: Liberty Seated Half Dollar (Variety 1: No Motto) covers the original Seated Liberty half-dollar design before IN GOD WE TRUST was added. No-Arrows coins through early 1853 use the 13.36-gram standard and contain about 0.3866 troy ounce of silver.

The reduced 12.44-gram standard introduced in 1853 belongs to the arrows subtypes, not to the earlier specification. Drapery details, mintmark position, date styles, and reverse die features separate the many issues in this long design family.