USA ½ dollar Seated Liberty Half Dollar 1862
USA, San Francisco
Rarity
Common
Attributes of Coins
| Region | USA |
|---|---|
| Denomination | ½ dollar |
| Krause number | KM# A68 |
| Mintage | 1,352,000 |
| Metal | Silver 0.900 |
| diameter | 30.6 mm |
| weight | 12.44 g |
Obverse:
Liberty
Star
Creators:
Christian Gobrecht
LIBERTY
Reverse:
Coat of arms
Creators:
Christian Gobrecht
HALF DOL.
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
Introduction of Coins
Silver coins circulated freely in the West, where paper money was shunned, so the production of half dollars at the San Francisco Mint went on without interruption. This issue is common in most circulated grades, becoming only slightly scarce at the XF and AU levels. Many of the latter pieces are from the so-called Guatemala Hoard, which came onto the market during the 1950s. These coins were all harshly cleaned and will not receive numeric grades. Certifiably Mint State coins are rare, with gems being especially so. The San Francisco Mint received six obverse dies for 1862 half dollars, five of which have been identified by Wiley and Bugert. Only two reverses were shipped, and these feature the Type 2 hub and Small S mintmark, both of which debuted on S-Mint halves this year. Since five reverse dies have been observed on 1862-S half dollars, three of these were holdovers that may or may not have been used previously. Some six die marriages have been identified in all---three having the Large S first seen in 1855, one with the Medium S of 1857 vintage and two of the new hub and Small S. Despite being new, the latter mintmark punch was broken at its top. The only varieties of note are these mintmark sizes. The Large S is the most common and the only one collectible in Mint State, while the other two are available in circulated grades but are exceedingly rare unworn. Two different collars have been identified, these having either 139 or 140 reeds.Read More
