New Orleans Mint Liberty Seated Half Dollar Good - Very Good Condition

PRODUCT DETAILS/DESCRIPTION

New Orleans Mint Liberty Seated Half Dollar Good - Very Good Condition

Struck in 90%, this half dollar coin wll come from New Orleans!

"O" Mint Half Dollar

Arriving in a 2x2 staple up, this coin will come in Good to Very Good condition. Dates will range between 1839-1891.

REVERSE: Depicts a heraldic eagle with outstretched wings, clutching arrows and an olive branch to convey military readiness and a preference for peace. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, O, and HALF DOL. are inscribed.

OBVERSE: Features Liberty seated on a rock holding a pole topped with a Phrygian cap---a classic emblem of freedom. The shield she is holding on her right below has LIBERTY inscribed. Thirteen stars encircle her with the date below.

Liberty Seated Half Dollars (1839-1891)

The Liberty Seated half dollar entered circulation in 1839, following the introduction of Christian Gobrecht’s Liberty Seated motif on pattern dollars and its subsequent adoption across several denominations. This represented a move toward a cohesive national identity in U.S. coinage, replacing earlier styles with a neoclassical personification of Liberty that would dominate silver coin designs for decades. During a period when large silver coins were central to everyday commerce—especially before widespread paper currency and standardized banking—the half dollar played a leading role in transactions.

The series spans an era of profound economic and political shifts. The California Gold Rush beginning in 1848 altered the gold-to-silver ratio, prompting legislation and Mint policies that affected fineness and production. The Civil War disrupted bullion supplies and influenced output among different mints—including Philadelphia, New Orleans, and later Carson City and San Francisco. As national priorities and technology evolved, the Liberty Seated half dollar adapted to legislative mandates, public sentiment, and practical minting considerations.