1867 Seated Liberty Half Dime

The story of the 1867

Output at Philadelphia slipped to 8,000 in 1867, from 10,000 the year before. In 1868 the figure was 88,600.

The other mint made far more that year: 1867-S alone came to 120,000, roughly 15 for every 1867. If you're checking a pile of 1867 coins, the mint mark is the one to look for. In the whole series, its mintage sits closest to the 1866 (10,000) and the 1865 (13,000).

Of the 39 Seated Liberty Half Dimes Philadelphia struck between 1837 and 1873, this is the scarcest. No Seated Liberty Half Dime of the 1860s had a smaller run.

More on the 1867

Philadelphia struck just 8,000 business strike half dimes in 1867, the lowest figure for any regular date of the series. Silver still did not circulate in the East after the war. The Mint also made 625 proofs and San Francisco struck 120,000 half dimes for the West.

The 1867 is a key date. Proofs can be easier to find than business strikes, so check for mirror fields and sharp rims before deciding what you have. Examine the 7 for alteration and the reverse for traces of a removed S. A grading service can confirm both the date and the type of strike. The 1866 and 1865, at 10,000 and 13,000, are close behind. The San Francisco coin of the same year, the 1867-S, was struck in fifteen times the number. Despite their higher mintages, the 1864 and 1865 are often considered even harder to find in circulated grades. A worn 1867 Philadelphia coin is still a significant rarity.

Civil War scarcity and the first San Francisco half dimes (1863 to 1867)

With silver hoarded in the East, Philadelphia struck very few half dimes for circulation. The totals were 18,000 in 1863, 48,000 in 1864, 13,000 in 1865, 10,000 in 1866 and 8,000 in 1867. Every one of these dates is a key and a significant rarity in any grade. The 1867, at 8,000, has the lowest business strike mintage of any regular Seated half dime. Fractional currency notes in denominations as low as three cents did the work these coins would normally have done. Philadelphia also struck proofs each year, from 460 to 725, so a proof is sometimes easier to find than a business strike.

San Francisco struck its first half dimes in 1863, a total of 100,000. Gold and silver still circulated in California during the war, so S coins went straight into use. San Francisco made 90,000 in 1864 and 120,000 a year from 1865 to 1867. These S dates are scarce but much more available than the Philadelphia coins, though most survivors are well worn.

Because the Philadelphia dates are so rare, check any of them carefully. Confirm the date has not been altered and that no mint mark has been removed. Proofs have deep mirror fields and sharp rims. Business strikes have frosty luster or normal wear. For the S coins, look near the bow of the wreath for the small S.

Elsewhere in US coinage in 1867

The rays between the stars on the Shield nickel's reverse were removed early in 1867 because they made the coin difficult to strike.