1856–1859: Liberty Seated Silver Half Dime (Variety 2B: Stars on Obverse, Arrows Removed)

1858 Liberty Seated Silver Half Dime Stars on Obverse Arrows Removed obverse and reverse

Coin specifications and design

Years made: 1856-1859

Country: United States

Denomination: Half dime

Category: Circulating coin

Composition: 90% silver, 10% copper

Silver fineness: 90%

Weight: 1.24 g

Diameter: 15.5 mm

Thickness: Approx. 0.8 mm

Edge: Reeded

Designer: Christian Gobrecht design; later relief revisions associated with Robert Ball Hughes

Design identification

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

1856–1859: Liberty Seated Silver Half Dime (Variety 2B: Stars on Obverse, Arrows Removed) history

1856–1859: Liberty Seated Silver Half Dime (Variety 2B: Stars on Obverse, Arrows Removed) adds thirteen stars around Christian Gobrecht’s Seated Liberty figure. It predates the arrows used to announce the 1853 weight reduction, so James B. Longacre’s later arrows work does not belong in this subtype’s designer specification.

On 1856–1859: Liberty Seated Silver Half Dime (Variety 2B: Stars on Obverse, Arrows Removed), thirteen stars surround the seated figure while HALF DIME remains inside the reverse wreath. The 1.34-gram standard and date markers keep it distinct from the related dime.