Seated Liberty/No Stars Half Dimes 1837-1838 Coin Guide
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Seated Liberty/No Stars Half Dimes 1837-1838
1835 started off with a bang. On January 30th, an assailant fired two
shots at President Andrew Jackson as he was leaving the House chamber. The
shots missed. Ironically, a short time later, Samuel Colt patented his
revolver. In early spring, Georgia passed the death penalty for anyone
publishing anything that could incite slave rebellions. Abolitionists
ranted, while most of the South approved. Lots of tension, lots of change.
Changes also led to the Mint becoming a very busy place. For the first
time ever, there was a large amount of silver and gold available for use.
New steam technology brought the introduction of modern, state-of-the-art
coining presses which could strike coins quickly and efficiently in a
close collar. These factors were instrumental in the Mint's entering the
modern era.
Newly appointed Mint Director Robert M. Patterson had strong feelings
about his own vision of the emblematic Liberty, and it didn't include
portraits, as on the coinage to date. He favored the rendition of
Britannia on the English copper coins and immediately assigned Chief
Engraver William Kneass to do a sketch using a similar concept. Kneass'
simple sketch was taken several steps further by the artists Titian Peale
and Thomas Sully.
Enter Christian Gobrecht. By 1835 the talented engraver and medallist
had worked for the Mint for over a decade, but without an official,
permanent position. Among other assignments, he was responsible for many
of the device punches that were used on the earlier Capped Bust coins.
Finally appointed second engraver after Chief Engraver William Kneass'
debilitating stroke in the summer of '35, Gobrecht immediately set to work
on bringing Patterson's ideas and Sully's painting to life. The result was
to grace the coinage for over half a century.
The Sully/Gobrecht Seated Liberty design was adapted for use on half
dimes and dimes in 1837. It depicted a robed Liberty seated on a rock,
holding in her right hand the Union Shield inscribed with LIBERTY and a
staff topped with a Liberty cap in her left. Except for the date, the
figure sits alone in clear fields. The reverse features a laurel wreath
enclosing the denomination HALF DIME, with the legend UNITED STATES OF
AMERICA encircling the periphery. As opposed to the later coins issued
with obverse stars, the cleanness of the fields gave the coin a powerful,
aesthetic impact, often presenting a cameo appearance on higher grade
pieces.
On July 25, 1837 the first new half dimes were issued. About 20 or so
proofs were struck for presentation to dignitaries and VIP's.
Approximately 12-14 of these are known today, and they can be
distinguished from business strikes by particularly bold detail and fully
reflective surfaces. Additionally, all true proofs show very clear triple
punching on the 8 in the date (this should not be regarded as diagnostic
criteria for all proofs, though, since this feature is also seen on early
die states of the business strikes).
A total of 1,405,000 Seated Liberty half dimes were struck in 1837. Two
distinct varieties are known. The first has a large date with the date in
a curved line and a tall peak to the 1 in the date. The second variety has
a small date with the date in a straight line and a flat top to the 1 in
the date. The Small Date is considerably scarcer than the Large Date, but
virtually no premium is accorded to this variety. These 1837 No Stars half
dimes, in comparison to other issues of the same era, are much more
available in uncirculated grades than one might expect. Apparently, many
pieces were saved as first-year-of-issue souvenirs.
In 1838, and for that year only, No Stars half dimes were coined in New
Orleans. Some 70,000 pieces were struck, and these represent (along with
the similarly dated dimes) the first regular issue silver coins struck at
a United States branch mint. The 1838-O half dimes saw heavy circulation
and are much rarer than the Philadelphia coins of 1837. Unlike many
first-year-of-issue coins, virtually no one saved any pieces as souvenirs.
As a result, mint state 1838-O half dimes are extremely rare and almost
non-existent in grades higher than Mint State-63.
No Stars half dimes are very popular. Although very few collectors are
still attempting to complete Seated Liberty date sets, higher grade No
Stars examples have great eye appeal and are highly coveted by type
collectors. From an artistic standpoint this coin is one of the most
uncluttered coins ever struck in the United States. Due to the rarity of
1838-O, the 1837 issue is the one typically included in type sets.
When grading coins of this type, check the high points of the breast
and knees on the obverse and the ribbon bow and tips of the leaves on the
reverse. The 1838-O half dime is more difficult to grade. Many pieces were
struck from heavily rusted dies. In addition to this die rust, the overall
quality of strike was poor. These coins looked worn as soon as they left
the die, and even a short stint in circulation left them with a wretched
appearance. It is possible to find an 1838-O with minimal die rust and a
reasonably decent impression, but they will never compare in overall
appearance to the 1837 Philadelphia issues.
In 1838 an arc of thirteen stars (arranged seven to the left and six to
the right) was added to the obverse of the half dime. The original hub of
1837 was retained, and the individual stars were hand-punched into each
working die. This was done to quell criticism from those who took issue
with the lack of the traditional stars signifying the original states.
Although a case could be made for the aesthetic appeal of the No Stars
design, the issue was moot after the release of the 1838 Seated Liberty
quarter dollar with stars on its obverse. Both the half dime and dime
design were then changed to conform to the Mint's policy of similar
designs on all coins of the same metal. Christian Go-brecht's majestic
depiction of Liberty, however, would continue on the half dime until 1873,
when Congress stopped production of the tiny silver five-cent piece in
favor of the increasingly popular copper-nickel five-cent piece.
SPECIFICATIONS:
Diameter: 15.5 millimeters Weight: 1.34 grams Composition: .900 silver,
.100 copper Edge: Reeded Net Weight: .03877 oz. pure silver
BIBLIOGRAPHY: Breen, Walter, United States Half Dimes: A
Supplement, New York, 1958. Blythe, Al, The Complete Guide To Liberty
Seated Half Dimes, Virginia Beach, VA, 1992. Morris, Richard B.,
Encyclopedia of American History, 5th Edition, Harper & Row, New York,
1976. Taxay, Don, The U.S. Mint and Coinage, Arco Publishing Co., New
York, 1966. Valentine, Daniel W., The United States Half Dimes, Quarterman
Publications, Inc., Lawrence, MA, 1975.
Coin Information Provided Courtesy NGC.
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