1855-O Seated Liberty Half Dollar
Circulation strike struck at the New Orleans Mint · 2,688,000 made
- Mintage
- 2,688,000
- Metal
- 90% silver, 10% copper
- Weight
- 12.44 g
- Diameter
- 30.6 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 1855-O Seated Liberty Half Dollar worth?
In worn condition it trades for about its silver content, 0.3600 troy ounces. Uncirculated coins with full luster or attractive toning sell for more.
What would make yours worth more:
- Uncirculated condition with full original luster
- A die variety or minting error
For market prices, check recent sold results for certified coins in the same grade.
Quick answers
- Is the 1855-O Seated Liberty Half Dollar rare?
- No. With 2.7 million made, it's one of the most common Seated Liberty Half Dollars.
- Is the 1855-O Seated Liberty Half Dollar silver?
- Yes. It's 90% silver, 10% copper and holds 0.3600 troy ounces of pure silver.
- Where is the mint mark on an 1855 Seated Liberty Half Dollar?
- On the reverse, below the eagle. Philadelphia halves have no mint mark. On this coin the mark is O, for New Orleans.
- Which New Orleans dates near 1855 are scarcer?
- The 1853-O, No Arrows at 4, the 1852-O at 144,000, the 1851-O at 402,000, plus 5 more. So the 1855-O is one of the easier dates of its stretch.
- How many 1855-O Seated Liberty Half Dollar coins were made?
- 2,688,000.
What to check on your 1855-O
- Make sure the mint mark really is a O. A worn or filled mark can be misread. It's what separates your coin from the 1855-S (129,950 made).
- Don't clean it. Cleaning leaves fine scratches and an unnatural shine that collectors avoid.
- Old coins pick up damage over a long life. Look for holes, bends, scratches or signs of cleaning before you judge the grade, because a damaged coin sells for a fraction of a problem-free one.
- Judge the grade under good light. LIBERTY on the shield is the benchmark for Fine. Check the high points of Liberty's knees and breast.
Circulated examples are usually traded for their silver content. Pick out the best ones: original luster and attractive toning lift a coin above melt, while cleaned coins lose most of their collector value.
The story of the 1855-O
Output at New Orleans slipped to 2,688,000 in 1855, from 5.2 million the year before. In 1856 the figure was 2.7 million.
It was the big producer of the year, well ahead of 1855-S (129,950) and 1855 (759,500).
Across New Orleans's 24 Seated Liberty Half Dollar issues, the hardest to find is the 1853-O, No Arrows with 4 made. The 1855-O is one of the easier ones. Within the 1850s it's 20th smallest of 26, between the 1856-O (2.7 million) and the 1859-O (2.8 million).
Arrows, rays and lighter halves (1853 to 1855)
The Act of February 21, 1853 reduced the half dollar from 13.36 to 12.44 grams. Arrows beside the date and rays around the eagle marked the new weight in 1853. Philadelphia and New Orleans struck more than 4.8 million between them, so the arrows and rays type is easy to find in worn grades. It is a one-year type that most collectors include in a type set.
A handful of 1853-O halves were struck without arrows or rays. Only four are known and the coin is among the most famous Seated rarities. The rays were dropped in 1854, while arrows remained through 1855. New Orleans struck 5,240,000 in 1854. San Francisco struck its first halves in 1855, a scarce run of 129,950. The 1855/4 overdate from Philadelphia is a popular variety.
Elsewhere in US coinage in 1855
Arrows beside the date marked the reduced-weight silver coins for the last time. The San Francisco Mint struck its first silver coins: quarters and half dollars.
How to recognize it
Liberty sits on a rock holding a shield inscribed LIBERTY and a pole topped with a liberty cap, with 13 stars around her and the date below. The reverse shows an eagle with HALF DOL. below. Arrows beside the date (1853 to 1855 and 1873 to 1874) and rays around the eagle (1853) mark weight changes and IN GOD WE TRUST appears above the eagle from 1866.
Mintage chart
Specifications
| Series | Seated Liberty Half Dollar (1839–1891) |
|---|---|
| Year | 1855 |
| Mint | New Orleans Mint |
| Mint mark | "O" |
| Strike type | Circulation strike |
| Mintage | 2,688,000 |
| Face value | 50¢ |
| Composition | 90% silver, 10% copper |
| Weight | 12.44 grams |
| Diameter | 30.6 mm |
| Edge | Reeded |
| Silver content | 0.3600 troy oz (11.196 g) |
| Designer | Christian Gobrecht |
Other 1855 Seated Liberty Half Dollar issues
| Coin | Mintage | Type | Silver |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1855 Seated Liberty Half Dollar | 759,500 | Circulation strike | 0.3600 oz |
| 1855-S Seated Liberty Half Dollar | 129,950 | Circulation strike | 0.3600 oz |
| 1855-O Seated Liberty Half Dollar | 2,688,000 | Circulation strike | 0.3600 oz |
Mintage: United States half dollar mintage figures (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0), compiled from US Mint records and the Guide Book of United States Coins. How we build these pages.