1853 Seated Liberty Half Dollar, Arrows and Rays
Circulation strike struck at the Philadelphia Mint · 3,532,708 made
- Mintage
- 3,532,708
- Metal
- 90% silver, 10% copper
- Weight
- 12.44 g
- Diameter
- 30.6 mm
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 1853 Seated Liberty Half Dollar, Arrows and Rays worth?
In worn condition it trades for about its silver content, 0.3600 troy ounces. Uncirculated coins with full luster or attractive toning sell for more.
What would make yours worth more:
- Uncirculated condition with full original luster
- A die variety or minting error
For market prices, check recent sold results for certified coins in the same grade.
Quick answers
- Is the 1853 Seated Liberty Half Dollar, Arrows and Rays rare?
- No. With 3.5 million made, it's one of the most common Seated Liberty Half Dollars.
- Is the 1853 Seated Liberty Half Dollar, Arrows and Rays silver?
- Yes. It's 90% silver, 10% copper and holds 0.3600 troy ounces of pure silver.
- Where is the mint mark on an 1853 Seated Liberty Half Dollar?
- On the reverse, below the eagle. Philadelphia halves have no mint mark.
- Which Philadelphia dates near 1853 are scarcer?
- The 1852 at 77,130, the 1851 at 200,750, the 1850 at 227,000, plus 6 more. So the 1853 is one of the easier dates of its stretch.
- How many 1853 Seated Liberty Half Dollar, Arrows and Rays coins were made?
- 3,532,708.
What to check on your 1853
- There's no mint mark on this one, so the date and condition are what matter.
- 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. LIBERTY on the shield is the benchmark for Fine. Check the high points of Liberty's knees and breast.
Circulated examples are usually traded for their silver content. Pick out the best ones: original luster and attractive toning lift a coin above melt, while cleaned coins lose most of their collector value.
The story of the 1853
Philadelphia ramped up hard in 1853: 3,532,708 coins, about 46 times the 1852 run. The next year it made 3 million (1854).
It was the big producer of the year, well ahead of 1853-O (4) and 1853-O (1.3 million).
Philadelphia struck the Seated Liberty Half Dollar in 56 issues between 1839 and 1891. By mintage this one lands in the more common half, while the key for that mint is the 1882 (4,400). Within the 1850s it's 23rd smallest of 26, between the 1854 (3 million) and the 1858 (4.2 million).
It also marks a change of metal: 1853 is the first year of the Seated Liberty Half Dollar in 90% silver, 10% copper, which lasted until 1873.
Arrows, rays and lighter halves (1853 to 1855)
The Act of February 21, 1853 reduced the half dollar from 13.36 to 12.44 grams. Arrows beside the date and rays around the eagle marked the new weight in 1853. Philadelphia and New Orleans struck more than 4.8 million between them, so the arrows and rays type is easy to find in worn grades. It is a one-year type that most collectors include in a type set.
A handful of 1853-O halves were struck without arrows or rays. Only four are known and the coin is among the most famous Seated rarities. The rays were dropped in 1854, while arrows remained through 1855. New Orleans struck 5,240,000 in 1854. San Francisco struck its first halves in 1855, a scarce run of 129,950. The 1855/4 overdate from Philadelphia is a popular variety.
Elsewhere in US coinage in 1853
Silver bullion was worth more than face value, so the Act of February 21, 1853 reduced the weight of the half dime, dime, quarter and half dollar. Arrows beside the date and rays on the reverse marked the lighter coins.
How to recognize it
Liberty sits on a rock holding a shield inscribed LIBERTY and a pole topped with a liberty cap, with 13 stars around her and the date below. The reverse shows an eagle with HALF DOL. below. Arrows beside the date (1853 to 1855 and 1873 to 1874) and rays around the eagle (1853) mark weight changes and IN GOD WE TRUST appears above the eagle from 1866.
Mintage chart
Specifications
| Series | Seated Liberty Half Dollar (1839–1891) |
|---|---|
| Year | 1853 |
| Mint | Philadelphia Mint |
| Mint mark | None |
| Strike type | Circulation strike |
| Mintage | 3,532,708 |
| Face value | 50¢ |
| Composition | 90% silver, 10% copper |
| Weight | 12.44 grams |
| Diameter | 30.6 mm |
| Edge | Reeded |
| Silver content | 0.3600 troy oz (11.196 g) |
| Designer | Christian Gobrecht |
Other 1853 Seated Liberty Half Dollar issues
| Coin | Mintage | Type | Silver |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1853 Seated Liberty Half Dollar, Arrows and Rays | 3,532,708 | Circulation strike | 0.3600 oz |
| 1853-O Seated Liberty Half Dollar, No Arrows | 4 | Circulation strike | 0.3600 oz |
| 1853-O Seated Liberty Half Dollar, Arrows and Rays | 1,328,000 | Circulation strike | 0.3600 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.