USA ½ dollar Seated Liberty Half Dollar 1873
USA, Philadelphia
Rarity
Uncommon
Attributes of Coins
| Region | USA |
|---|---|
| Denomination | ½ dollar |
| Krause number | KM# 99 |
| Mintage | 801,200 |
| 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
Just prior to the addition of arrowheads to either side of the date on the dimes, quarters and halves of 1873, the Philadelphia Mint coined over 200 thousand half dollars with the revised date punch having an "Open 3" with clear separation between the knobs of that numeral. Nearly this entire production remained on hand at the mint and was melted when the new weight standard went into effect April 1. As a result, only a handful of 1873 Close 3 No Arrows half dollars have survived. This variety is rare across all grades. Just a single die pair is known for this issue, though its original mintage likely required the use of at least one more for which no examples have survived. A proof having a different obverse was reported years ago, but this is not presently traced and awaits verification.Read More
