1859 Seated Liberty Half Dime Proof
Proof struck at the Philadelphia Mint · 800 made
- Mintage
- 800
- Metal
- 90% silver, 10% copper
- Weight
- 1.24 g
- Diameter
- 15.5 mm
Original illustration. Tap to flip. Not a photograph of the actual coin.
Face value · Metal value · Small premium · Collector premium · Significant rarity. We use bands because prices change daily.
What is an 1859 Seated Liberty Half Dime Proof worth?
This is one of the dates collectors hunt for. A genuine 1859 is valuable in any condition, even well worn. That's exactly why fakes and altered coins turn up so often.
What would make yours worth more:
- Grade and, for proofs, strong cameo contrast
- A die variety or minting error
- Certification by PCGS or NGC, which buyers expect for scarce dates
For market prices, check recent sold results for certified coins in the same grade.
Quick answers
- Is the 1859 Seated Liberty Half Dime Proof rare?
- Fairly. The Mint made 800 for collectors. Most were kept in their original packaging.
- Is the 1859 Seated Liberty Half Dime Proof silver?
- Yes. It's 90% silver, 10% copper and holds 0.0359 troy ounces of pure silver.
- Where is the mint mark on an 1859 Seated Liberty Half Dime?
- On the reverse, below the bow of the wreath or inside the wreath, depending on the year. Philadelphia coins have no mint mark.
- How many 1859 Seated Liberty Half Dime proofs were made?
- 800.
What to check on your 1859
- There's no mint mark on this one, so the date and condition are what matter.
- Judge the grade under good light. LIBERTY on the shield wears first; a full LIBERTY marks Fine or better. These tiny coins are often bent, cleaned or holed.
Proofs from 1859 were struck one at a time in small numbers and many were later spent or mishandled. Look for hairlines from cleaning, which lower the grade.
The story of the 1859
Arrows removed and big Philadelphia runs (1856 to 1859)
The arrows came off in 1856, though the 1.24 gram weight stayed. Philadelphia struck 4,880,000 half dimes that year and 7,280,000 in 1857, while New Orleans made 1,100,000 and 1,380,000. Spanish and Mexican silver lost its legal tender status in 1857, which raised demand for American small change. New Orleans struck more than a million half dimes in each of 1856, 1857 and 1858. That same law replaced the large copper cent with the small Flying Eagle cent.
Philadelphia's 1858 total of 3,500,000 includes a well known error, the date over inverted date. The date was first punched upside down and then corrected. Traces of the inverted digits can be seen around the date. New Orleans struck 1,660,000 in 1858. Output then dropped in 1859, to 340,000 at Philadelphia and 560,000 at New Orleans. Philadelphia's 7,280,000 coins of 1857 are the second largest half dime mintage, behind only the arrows coins of 1853.
Proofs were made in quantity from 1859, when 800 were struck. For collectors these years are an easy way to add Seated half dimes with the stars obverse, since most dates are common. Check the 1858 date with a strong glass for the inverted traces. On any coin of the period, look for the O mint mark on the reverse and judge the wear on Liberty's knee and the shield.
Elsewhere in US coinage in 1859
The Indian Head cent replaced the Flying Eagle cent in 1859. Its first-year reverse showed a laurel wreath, replaced by an oak wreath and shield the next year.
How to recognize it
Liberty sits on a rock with her right hand on a shield crossed by a scroll reading LIBERTY and her left hand holding a pole topped by a liberty cap. The 1837 and 1838-O half dimes show nothing else on the obverse but the date. From 1838 to 1859 thirteen stars ring the design and from 1860 they are replaced by UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. Drapery falls from her left elbow on coins from late 1840 on. Arrows beside the date mark the lighter coins of 1853 to 1855. Until 1859 the reverse shows HALF DIME inside a laurel wreath circled by UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. From 1860 a cereal wreath of corn, wheat, maple and oak leaves surrounds HALF DIME alone. Mint marks for New Orleans and San Francisco are on the reverse near the bow.
Mintage chart
Specifications
| Series | Seated Liberty Half Dime (1837–1873) |
|---|---|
| Year | 1859 |
| Mint | Philadelphia Mint |
| Mint mark | None |
| Strike type | Proof |
| Mintage | 800 |
| Face value | 5¢ |
| Composition | 90% silver, 10% copper |
| Weight | 1.24 grams |
| Diameter | 15.5 mm |
| Edge | Reeded |
| Silver content | 0.0359 troy oz (1.116 g) |
| Designer | Christian Gobrecht |
Other 1859 Seated Liberty Half Dime issues
| Coin | Mintage | Type | Silver |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1859 Seated Liberty Half Dime | 340,000 | Circulation strike | 0.0359 oz |
| 1859 Seated Liberty Half Dime Proof | 800 | Proof | 0.0359 oz |
| 1859-O Seated Liberty Half Dime | 560,000 | Circulation strike | 0.0359 oz |
Mintage: US Mint records as published in standard references, each figure checked against at least two independent sources. How we build these pages.