½ Dollar "Seated Liberty Half Dollar" (1842) — United States

Overview

A silver ½ Dollar Standard circulation coin of the United States, minted in 1842 (small date, large letters variety). Features Seated Liberty on the obverse and an eagle with arrows and an olive branch on the reverse. Composed of Silver (.900) (.100 copper) with a reeded edge and designed by Christian Gobrecht.

Specifications

Country

United States

Year

1842

Composition

Silver (.900) (.100 copper)

Weight

13.36 g

Diameter

30.6 mm

Thickness

2.15 mm

Mint

United States Mint of Philadelphia

Shape

Round

Technique

Milled

References

KM# 68, PCGS# 6230, 6232-6239, etc.

Issuer

United States

Design details

Collector insights

• Design heritage: Christian Gobrecht is credited as the designer for the Standard circulation coins series. Designer attribution helps distinguish this issue from later restrikes or unofficial copies that reuse only the motif.
• Struck at: United States Mint of Philadelphia. Confirm the mintmark on your example before comparing prices — same-year issues from different mints often trade at very different levels.
• Precious metal content: Silver (.900) (.100 copper) — bullion value provides a price floor, and many circulated examples were melted during the 1979–1980 and post-2010 silver spikes, reducing the surviving population.
• Catalogue reference: Listed as KM# 68, PCGS# 6230, 6232-6239, etc.. Use this reference code when cross-checking auction archives, dealer inventories, and standard printed catalogues.

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