1839-O Capped Bust Half Dollar
Circulation strike struck at the New Orleans Mint · 116,000 made
- Mintage
- 116,000
- Metal
- 90% silver, 10% copper
- Weight
- 13.36 g
- Diameter
- 32.5 mm (lettered edge); 30 mm (reeded edge)
Original illustration. Tap to flip. Not a photograph of the actual coin.
Face value · Metal value · Small premium · Collector premium · Significant rarity. We use bands because prices change daily.
What is an 1839-O Capped Bust Half Dollar worth?
This is one of the dates collectors hunt for. A genuine 1839-O is valuable in any condition, even well worn. That's exactly why fakes and altered coins turn up so often.
What would make yours worth more:
- Uncirculated condition with full original luster
- A die variety or minting error
- Certification by PCGS or NGC, which buyers expect for scarce dates
For market prices, check recent sold results for certified coins in the same grade.
Quick answers
- Is the 1839-O Capped Bust Half Dollar rare?
- Yes. Only 116,000 were made, 4th lowest of the 35 regular issues in the series.
- Is the 1839-O Capped Bust Half Dollar silver?
- Yes. It's 90% silver, 10% copper and holds 0.3866 troy ounces of pure silver.
- Where is the mint mark on an 1839 Capped Bust Half Dollar?
- Above the date on the obverse (1838-O and 1839-O only). On this coin the mark is O, for New Orleans.
- How many 1839-O Capped Bust Half Dollar coins were made?
- 116,000.
What to check on your 1839-O
- Make sure the mint mark really is a O. A worn or filled mark can be misread. It's what separates your coin from the 1839 (1.4 million made).
- Check the date and mint mark under magnification for tooling or added letters. Scarce dates are the ones forgers alter.
- Don't clean it. Cleaning leaves fine scratches and an unnatural shine that collectors avoid.
- Old coins pick up damage over a long life. Look for holes, bends, scratches or signs of cleaning before you judge the grade, because a damaged coin sells for a fraction of a problem-free one.
- Judge the grade under good light. Look at the curls near the ear, the clasp at the shoulder and the eagle's neck and wings.
Never clean it. Collectors pay strong premiums for original surfaces and natural toning on a date like this. A cleaned coin can lose half its value or more. Low-mintage dates attract altered and counterfeit coins. Check that the mint mark and date have not been tooled or added, or buy one already certified by PCGS or NGC.
The story of the 1839-O
New Orleans ramped up hard in 1839: 116,000 coins, about 5800 times the 1838 run. It was also the last year of the series.
The other mint made far more that year: 1839 alone came to 1.4 million, roughly 12 for every 1839-O. If you're checking a pile of 1839 coins, the O is the one to look for. In the whole series, its mintage sits closest to the 1815 (47,150) and the 1807 (750,500).
1839 is the last year the Capped Bust Half Dollar was made in 90% silver, 10% copper. Check the edge or weigh it if you find one from the year after.
Steam press and reeded edge (1836 to 1839)
In late 1836 the Mint used its new steam-powered press to strike a redesigned half dollar modified by Christian Gobrecht. It was smaller, at about 30 mm, with a reeded edge in place of the lettered one. Only 1,200 reeded edge halves are dated 1836. Lettered edge halves were also struck that year, including an error with 50 over 00 in the denomination.
The 1837 reverse reads 50 CENTS, while 1838 and 1839 read HALF DOL. The 1837 coins were the first struck to the new standard of 90 percent silver and 13.36 grams. New Orleans struck about 20 halves in 1838. They are among the rarest of all American silver coins. The 1838-O and 1839-O carry their mint mark on the obverse above the date, an unusual position. The Seated Liberty half replaced the design later in 1839.
Elsewhere in US coinage in 1839
The Liberty Seated half dollar replaced the Capped Bust design and the Braided Hair cent replaced the Coronet design late in the year.
How to recognize it
John Reich's Liberty faces left in a cloth cap with a band inscribed LIBERTY, surrounded by stars with the date below. The reverse shows an eagle with a shield on its breast and the value 50 C. (later 50 CENTS and HALF DOL.). Coins to 1836 have a lettered edge; later coins are reeded and slightly smaller. Hundreds of die marriages make this a favorite series for variety specialists.
Mintage chart
Specifications
| Series | Capped Bust Half Dollar (1807–1839) |
|---|---|
| Year | 1839 |
| Mint | New Orleans Mint |
| Mint mark | "O" |
| Strike type | Circulation strike |
| Mintage | 116,000 |
| Face value | 50¢ |
| Composition | 90% silver, 10% copper |
| Weight | 13.36 grams |
| Diameter | 32.5 mm (lettered edge); 30 mm (reeded edge) |
| Edge | Lettered to 1836, then reeded |
| Silver content | 0.3866 troy oz (12.024 g) |
| Designer | John Reich; reeded-edge version by Christian Gobrecht |
Other 1839 Capped Bust Half Dollar issues
| Coin | Mintage | Type | Silver |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1839 Capped Bust Half Dollar | 1,392,976 | Circulation strike | 0.3866 oz |
| 1839-O Capped Bust Half Dollar | 116,000 | Circulation strike | 0.3866 oz |
Mintage: United States half dollar mintage figures (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0), compiled from US Mint records and the Guide Book of United States Coins. How we build these pages.