½ Dime - "Seated Liberty Half Dime" obverse legend (1863) — United States

Overview

A silver ½ Dime ('Seated Liberty Half Dime') coin from the United States, minted in 1863 at the United States Mint of San Francisco bearing the 'S' mintmark. Struck in .900 silver, it has a mintage of 100,000.

Specifications

Country

United States

Year

1863

Composition

Silver (.900) (.100 copper)

Weight

1.24 g

Diameter

15.5 mm

Thickness

0.8 mm

Mint

United States Mint of San Francisco

Mintmark

S

Shape

Round

Technique

Milled

References

KM# 91, PCGS# 4377-4402, 4404, etc., Greysheet# 3788-3801, 3824-3837, 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 San Francisco (mintmark S). Confirm the mintmark on your example before comparing prices — same-year issues from different mints often trade at very different levels.
• Mintage vs. survival: A moderate mintage of 100,000. Grade rarity is usually the driver of value here — mid-grade circulated pieces are common, but original-surface uncirculated coins can command a strong premium.
• 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# 91, PCGS# 4377-4402, 4404, etc., Greysheet# 3788-3801, 3824-3837, etc.. Use this reference code when cross-checking auction archives, dealer inventories, and standard printed catalogues.

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