1855 Seated Liberty Half Dollar
Circulation strike struck at the Philadelphia Mint · 759,500 made
- Mintage
- 759,500
- 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 Seated Liberty Half Dollar worth?
It's scarcer than a typical date, so even circulated examples sell above face and above their metal value. The best uncirculated coins are where the money is.
What would make yours worth more:
- Uncirculated condition with full original luster
- 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 1855 Seated Liberty Half Dollar rare?
- Somewhat. 759,500 were made, fewer than most dates, so collectors treat it as a semi-key.
- Is the 1855 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.
- Which Philadelphia dates near 1855 are scarcer?
- The 1852 at 77,130, the 1851 at 200,750, the 1850 at 227,000, plus 2 more. So the 1855 is one of the easier dates of its stretch.
- How many 1855 Seated Liberty Half Dollar coins were made?
- 759,500.
What to check on your 1855
- There's no mint mark on this one, so the date and condition are what matter.
- 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.
Never clean it. Collectors pay strong premiums for original surfaces and natural toning on a date like this. A cleaned coin can lose half its value or more.
The story of the 1855
Production at Philadelphia fell off a cliff in 1855. Only 759,500 were made, against 3 million the year before. That drop is why the 1855 is the one people look for. In 1856 the figure was 938,000.
1855-S came to 129,950 and 1855-O came to 2.7 million, so neither mint's 1855 coin is much scarcer than the other. In the whole series, its mintage sits closest to the 1842-O (Medium date, large letters variety) (754,000) and the 1859 (747,200).
Across Philadelphia's 56 Seated Liberty Half Dollar issues, the hardest to find is the 1882 with 4,400 made. The 1855 is one of the easier ones. Within the 1850s it's 13th smallest of 26, between the 1859 (747,200) and the 1857-O (818,000).
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 | Philadelphia Mint |
| Mint mark | None |
| Strike type | Circulation strike |
| Mintage | 759,500 |
| 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.