1855-S Seated Liberty Half Dollar
Circulation strike struck at the San Francisco Mint · 129,950 made
- Mintage
- 129,950
- 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 1855-S Seated Liberty Half Dollar worth?
This is one of the dates collectors hunt for. A genuine 1855-S 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 1855-S Seated Liberty Half Dollar rare?
- Yes. Only 129,950 were made, 23rd lowest of the 116 regular issues in the series.
- Is the 1855-S Seated Liberty Half Dollar silver?
- Yes. It's 90% silver, 10% copper and holds 0.3600 troy ounces of pure silver.
- Where is the mint mark on an 1855 Seated Liberty Half Dollar?
- On the reverse, below the eagle. Philadelphia halves have no mint mark. On this coin the mark is S, for San Francisco.
- Which San Francisco dates near 1855 are scarcer?
- None. Within five years either side, no San Francisco issue had a smaller mintage than the 1855-S.
- How many 1855-S Seated Liberty Half Dollar coins were made?
- 129,950.
What to check on your 1855-S
- Make sure the mint mark really is an S. A worn or filled mark can be misread. It's what separates your coin from the 1855 (759,500 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. LIBERTY on the shield is the benchmark for Fine. Check the high points of Liberty's knees and breast.
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 1855-S
This was the first time San Francisco made the Seated Liberty Half Dollar for circulation: 129,950 coins. In 1856 the figure was 211,000.
The other mints made far more that year: 1855-O alone came to 2.7 million, roughly 21 for every 1855-S. If you're checking a pile of 1855 coins, the S is the one to look for. In the whole series, its mintage sits closest to the 1873-CC, No Arrows (122,500) and the 1852-O (144,000).
Across San Francisco's 26 Seated Liberty Half Dollar issues, the hardest to find is the 1873-S, No Arrows with 5,000 made. The 1855-S is on the scarcer side of the middle. Within the 1850s it's 3rd smallest of 26, between the 1852 (77,130) and the 1852-O (144,000).
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 1855
Arrows beside the date marked the reduced-weight silver coins for the last time. The San Francisco Mint struck its first silver coins: quarters and half dollars.
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 | 1855 |
| Mint | San Francisco Mint |
| Mint mark | "S" |
| Strike type | Circulation strike |
| Mintage | 129,950 |
| 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 1855 Seated Liberty Half Dollar issues
| Coin | Mintage | Type | Silver |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1855 Seated Liberty Half Dollar | 759,500 | Circulation strike | 0.3600 oz |
| 1855-S Seated Liberty Half Dollar | 129,950 | Circulation strike | 0.3600 oz |
| 1855-O Seated Liberty Half Dollar | 2,688,000 | 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.