1873 Seated Liberty Half Dime (Last Year)

1873 Seated Liberty Half Dime: The Final Year of an American Classic

The 1873 Seated Liberty Half Dime carries the distinction of being the last half dime ever struck for general circulation in United States history. After thirty-six years of continuous production, the denomination was eliminated by the Coinage Act of 1873, and the small silver pieces that had quietly circulated through the Civil War era and Reconstruction simply ceased to exist in American commerce. The coins produced that final year, at Philadelphia and at San Francisco, are the period at the end of a long sentence in American monetary history, and collectors have prized them for that reason ever since.

The Half Dime: A Brief History of a Forgotten Denomination

The half dime, worth five cents, was one of the original denominations authorized by the Coinage Act of 1792. These tiny silver coins predated the nickel and served as the primary five-cent piece in American commerce for most of the early republic. The first half dimes were struck in 1792, possibly by George Washington himself in a private ceremony, and the denomination evolved through several design series before settling on the Seated Liberty design in 1837.

The Seated Liberty half dime ran from 1837 to 1873, making it the longest-running design in the denomination's history. Christian Gobrecht, the second Chief Engraver of the United States Mint, created the original Seated Liberty design, which placed a figure of Liberty seated on a rock, holding a shield inscribed LIBERTY in her left hand and a pole topped with a Liberty cap in her right hand. This basic composition was adapted across multiple silver denominations and remained in use until the Coinage Act of 1873 reorganized the entire American coinage system.

The design went through several modifications during its long run. Early issues lacked stars on the obverse. Stars were added in 1838. In 1840, drapery was added to Liberty's elbow. Arrows were added at the date in 1853 to indicate a change in silver weight, then removed in 1856. More arrows appeared in 1873 for an issue of dimes and quarters, but the half dime was terminated before the arrows version could be produced in that denomination. The final half dimes from 1873 are therefore all of the "Legend on Obverse" type that debuted in 1860, when the stars were replaced by the legend UNITED STATES OF AMERICA surrounding Liberty.

The Coinage Act of 1873 and the End of the Half Dime

The Coinage Act of 1873, sometimes called the "Crime of 1873" by silver advocates who believed it demonetized silver at the expense of Western miners, fundamentally reorganized American coinage. Among its many provisions, the act eliminated the half dime denomination entirely. The rationale was partly practical: the nickel five-cent piece, introduced in 1866 to address wartime silver hoarding, had proven popular and practical. A silver half dime and a nickel five-cent piece served the same function, and maintaining both was redundant.

The act passed in February 1873, by which time the Philadelphia Mint had already struck 712,000 half dimes for circulation and a small number of proofs for collectors. The San Francisco Mint had struck 324,000 half dimes. These figures are not extraordinarily low, which is one reason the 1873 Seated Liberty Half Dime is not considered a key date. But the historical significance of being the final issue in the series gives every 1873 an intrinsic collector appeal that goes beyond the raw mintage number.

No half dimes were struck with arrows at the date, as had been done for the dimes and quarters that year. The 1873 half dimes are therefore strictly No Arrows pieces, identical in design to issues going back to 1860 except for the date.

Design Details

The final year half dimes use the Legend on Obverse design that had been in place since 1860. The obverse shows Liberty seated on a rock, facing left, holding a shield in her left hand and a pole with a Liberty cap in her right. The word LIBERTY is inscribed on the shield. The legend UNITED STATES OF AMERICA circles the perimeter inside the denticulated rim. The date appears at the bottom of the obverse.

The reverse features a redesigned wreath that extends nearly to the rim, with ears of corn, wheat, oak branches, and maple leaves all incorporated into the design. The denomination HALF DIME sits within the wreath in two lines. No mintmark appears on Philadelphia issues, while San Francisco pieces carry a small S below the bow that ties the wreath at the bottom.

The coins are struck in 90 percent silver and 10 percent copper, at a weight of 1.24 grams and a diameter of 15.5 millimeters. This makes them among the smallest silver coins in American numismatic history, just slightly over half an inch in diameter.

Values by Grade

Both the Philadelphia and San Francisco 1873 issues are collectible at all grade levels, though the Philadelphia issue is more commonly encountered. Circulated examples are genuinely affordable and represent a straightforward entry point for collectors interested in the series or in classic American silver type coins.

Philadelphia Issue (no mintmark) — Mintage: 712,000

San Francisco Issue (S mintmark) — Mintage: 324,000

Values reflect retail market conditions as of early 2026. Proof examples of the Philadelphia issue are separately priced and command substantial premiums, typically several hundred to several thousand dollars depending on grade and cameo designation.

Identification Tips

For a series as long-running as the Seated Liberty half dime, proper identification requires attention to several details.

Locating the mintmark. Philadelphia coins have no mintmark. San Francisco coins carry a small S on the reverse, located on the bow at the very bottom center of the wreath where the ribbon ties it. This S can be quite faint on worn examples and requires good lighting and magnification to read clearly.

Confirming the date. The 1873 date uses the same basic numerals as other issues of the period, but examine the positioning and spacing. Compare against verified auction images for the specific issue you are looking at.

Identifying the Legend Obverse type. The 1873 is a Legend Obverse coin, meaning the stars have been replaced by UNITED STATES OF AMERICA surrounding Liberty. This design runs from 1860 to 1873. Any half dime with stars instead of a legend around the obverse is a pre-1860 issue.

Checking for wear patterns. On circulated examples, the first areas to show wear are Liberty's breast and the high points of the shield. In Fine grade, major details are visible but significant wear flattens the fine design elements. Extremely Fine examples retain most detail, with only light wear on the highest points.

Originality of surfaces. As with all 19th century silver, cleaning is extremely common. Bright, brilliant surfaces on a coin with obvious wear are a red flag. Authentic uncirculated pieces have original mint luster that may have toned to gray, gold, or iridescent colors over 150 years. Chemical cleaning destroys this luster and leaves a sterile brightness that experienced collectors recognize immediately.

Grading the 1873 Half Dime

Grading small silver coins from the Civil War era requires practice, but the Seated Liberty design provides clear diagnostic points at each grade level.

At the Good level, the outline of Liberty is visible but most details are merged. LIBERTY on the shield is usually partially legible or fully flat. The date is readable.

At Fine, Liberty's figure retains most major features. LIBERTY is still partially readable, but wear has reduced fine detail. The wreath on the reverse shows clear leaves but minimal interior detail.

At Extremely Fine, nearly all design elements are present. Only the highest points show light wear. LIBERTY is sharp and complete. The wreath on the reverse shows full leaf and berry detail.

Mint State examples, which are less common than their circulated counterparts, show no trace of wear. The distinction between MS-60 and MS-65 hinges on the number, depth, and location of contact marks (bagmarks from handling in mint bags), the quality of the luster, and the overall eye appeal.

The Collector's Perspective

The 1873 Seated Liberty Half Dime is a coin that rewards collectors at every level. At the entry level, a circulated VF example can be acquired for under $50 and represents 150 years of American history in your hand. The coin is small enough to be easily dismissed as inconsequential, but its story is anything but.

It is the last of a denomination that stretches back to the founding of the republic, discontinued not because it was worn out as a design but because a cheaper alternative had made it redundant. Every circulated example touched hundreds of hands in commerce before the denomination was retired. Every mint state example represents a coin that escaped that fate, preserved through luck, intention, or simple neglect.

For type collectors building a set of 19th century American silver, the 1873 Philadelphia or San Francisco provides the final entry for the Seated Liberty half dime series without requiring an extravagant budget. For date collectors working the entire Seated Liberty half dime run, the 1873 issues are among the more accessible final entries.

What Happened After the Half Dime

The elimination of the half dime denomination in 1873 left American commerce with only one five-cent coin: the Shield Nickel, which had been introduced in 1866. The nickel-copper alloy of the Shield Nickel was more practical than a tiny silver coin in a busy commercial environment. It was larger, more durable, and easier to handle. The Liberty Head Nickel replaced the Shield Nickel in 1883, and the Buffalo Nickel followed in 1913. The Jefferson Nickel has been in production since 1938.

None of these successors matches the historical depth of the Seated Liberty half dime, which spanned the antebellum era, the Civil War, and Reconstruction before being retired. Holding one is a direct connection to everyday American commerce in the 19th century.

The series itself contains far more difficult coins for those who pursue it in depth. The 1846 Philadelphia issue had a tiny mintage of approximately 27,000 pieces and is genuinely rare. Several New Orleans branch mint issues from the 1840s and 1850s are scarce in any grade above Fine. But the 1873 Philadelphia and San Francisco are within reach for collectors at multiple budget levels, which makes them natural first acquisitions for anyone drawn to this classic American series.

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