1842 US Coins: Values & Mintages

The Mint in the 1840s

The Seated Liberty design was now on the half dime, dime, quarter, half dollar and silver dollar and Liberty gained extra drapery at her elbow in 1840. James B. Longacre became chief engraver in 1844 after Gobrecht's death. The New Orleans Mint struck large numbers of silver coins, while Charlotte and Dahlonega coined gold from the southern gold fields.

The Mexican-American War ended in 1848 with California under US control and the discovery of gold there that year changed everything. By 1849 Congress had authorized the gold dollar and the $20 double eagle to turn the new gold into coin. The cent was still the large copper coin, struck only in Philadelphia.

How many coins were made in 1842

Counting the circulation issues on this page, US mints struck 11,282,654 coins dated 1842 across 10 issues. That is 33% more than in 1841 (8,475,367). In 1843 the figure rose to 12,835,942.

By mint: Philadelphia 7,186,654 (64%, up from 4,799,867) and New Orleans 4,096,000 (36%, up from 3,675,500).

Those coins held about 1,660,761 troy ounces of pure silver.

1842 coins by denomination

Cents: 2,383,390 struck in 1 circulation issue of the Braided Hair Large Cent, up 49% on 1841.

Dimes: 3,907,500 struck in 2 circulation issues of the Seated Liberty Dime, up 7.6% on 1841. The scarcest is the 1842 (1,887,500) and the most plentiful the 1842-O (2,020,000).

Quarters: 857,000 struck in 2 circulation issues of the Seated Liberty Quarter, up 50% on 1841. The scarcest is the 1842 (88,000) and the most plentiful the 1842-O (769,000).

Half Dollars: 2,969,764 struck in 3 circulation issues of the Seated Liberty Half Dollar, up 318% on 1841. The scarcest is the 1842-O (203,000) and the most plentiful the 1842 (2,012,764).

Odd Denominations: 1,165,000 struck in 2 circulation issues of the Seated Liberty Half Dime, down 41% on 1841. The scarcest is the 1842-O (350,000) and the most plentiful the 1842 (815,000).

Every 1842 circulation issue at a glance

• 1842 Seated Liberty Quarter: 88,000 struck, 38th lowest of 108 in the series, down from 120,000 in 1841.
• 1842-O Seated Liberty Half Dollar: 203,000 struck, 29th lowest of 116 in the series, down from 401,000 in 1841.
• 1842-O Seated Liberty Half Dime: 350,000 struck, 27th lowest of 70 in the series, down from 815,000 in 1841.
• 1842-O Seated Liberty Half Dollar (Medium date, large letters variety): 754,000 struck, more than 51% of the series' 116 issues, up from 401,000 in 1841.
• 1842-O Seated Liberty Quarter: 769,000 struck, more than 73% of the series' 108 issues, up from 452,000 in 1841.
• 1842 Seated Liberty Half Dime: 815,000 struck, more than 57% of the series' 70 issues, down from 1,150,000 in 1841.
• 1842 Seated Liberty Dime: 1,887,500 struck, more than 70% of the series' 116 issues, similar to 1841.
• 1842 Seated Liberty Half Dollar: 2,012,764 struck, more than 77% of the series' 116 issues, up from 310,000 in 1841.
• 1842-O Seated Liberty Dime: 2,020,000 struck, more than 74% of the series' 116 issues, similar to 1841.
• 1842 Braided Hair Large Cent: 2,383,390 struck, 5th lowest of 19 in the series, up from 1,597,367 in 1841.

Braided Hair Large Cent: Petite Head cents

Christian Gobrecht's Braided Hair portrait arrived late in 1839, so only about 200,000 cents of the new design carry that date. The first version, called the Petite Head, shows a small head with small letters on the reverse. Annual output settled between 1.6 and 2.5 million cents. The 1840 and 1842 each come in small date and large date styles. The 1840 has a small date over large 18 variety.

In 1843 the Mint introduced a larger, more mature head and larger reverse letters. That year therefore has three combinations: Petite Head with small letters, Mature Head with large letters and a scarce mule pairing the Petite Head with the large letter reverse. Petite Head cents are usually seen worn to Very Fine or below with chocolate brown color. Proofs from these years are rare and were made only in very small numbers.

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Seated Liberty Quarter: Seated quarters before the 1853 weight cut

Christian Gobrecht's Seated Liberty quarter replaced the Capped Bust late in 1838. The first coins have no drapery at Liberty's elbow. Extra folds of cloth were added in 1840, the same year the New Orleans Mint struck its first quarters in both styles. New Orleans then made quarters in most years of the 1840s, with the mint mark below the eagle.

After the California gold discoveries, silver rose in value against gold. Quarters became worth more as bullion than as money, so many were melted or shipped abroad. Philadelphia struck only 160,000 in 1851 and New Orleans just 88,000. The 1849-O, 1851-O and 1852-O are the scarce dates of these years. The 1842 small date exists only as a Philadelphia proof, while New Orleans struck both small and large dates that year.

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Seated Liberty Half Dollar: Gobrecht's seated half and New Orleans output

The Seated Liberty half dollar arrived in 1839. The earliest coins lack drapery at Liberty's elbow, while later 1839 coins show the added folds of cloth. From 1840 New Orleans produced halves every year of the period, often outstripping Philadelphia, with the mint mark below the eagle. New Orleans struck 3,180,000 in 1848 while Philadelphia made only 580,000.

Varieties include the scarce 1842-O small date and the 1846 with a 6 punched over a horizontal 6. After gold was found in California, the silver in these coins became worth more than face value. Many were melted or exported. Philadelphia struck only 227,000 in 1850, 200,750 in 1851 and 77,130 in 1852, making the 1852 the scarcest Philadelphia date of the period.

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Seated Liberty Dime: New Orleans at full stride and the 1844

With the drapery design settled, both mints turned out dimes in volume. New Orleans passed two million in 1841 and again in 1842, striking 2,007,500 and 2,020,000, more than Philadelphia managed in either year. Philadelphia stayed between 1,370,000 and 1,887,500 from 1841 to 1843 and reached 1,755,000 in 1845. Proofs of these years were struck only in tiny numbers and are almost never seen. For ordinary dates of this stretch, a worn coin is a common sight and an easy addition to a set.

The scarce coins come from the dips. New Orleans made only 150,000 dimes in 1843 and none at all in 1844. Its 1845-O run of 230,000 is also elusive, especially with a full shield. The great rarity of the era is the Philadelphia 1844, with just 72,500 struck. Collectors have long called it Little Orphan Annie. Few were saved at the time and it is hard to find in any grade.

Dimes of 1841 to 1845 often turn up with heavy wear, scratches or old cleaning. Read the date carefully on an 1844, since a 4 can be faked on another year. Then judge the grade by the word LIBERTY on the shield: if every letter is clear, the coin is at least Fine. For the New Orleans issues, check that the O mint mark on the reverse is sharp and sits cleanly in the field.

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Seated Liberty Half Dime: Steady output and the 1844-O

With the drapery design in place, half dimes became an everyday coin. Philadelphia struck between 815,000 and 1,564,000 in every year from 1841 to 1845 except 1844. New Orleans added 815,000 in 1841 and 350,000 in 1842, then made no half dimes in 1843. Its 1844-O run of 220,000 is the scarce date of the period. New Orleans struck no half dimes in 1845.

The 1844-O is seldom found with sharp detail. The Philadelphia 1844, at 430,000, is also lower than its neighbors. The other dates are among the most available Seated half dimes from before the Civil War, which makes them a good starting point for a collection. In these years the half dime was the smallest silver coin in daily use, since the three-cent silver piece did not arrive until 1851.

When you check a half dime of these years, look at the reverse under a magnifier for the small O near the bow of the wreath. Then judge the grade by the shield. A full LIBERTY on the scroll across it means Fine or better, while a smooth scroll points to Good or Very Good. Because these coins are so thin, also tilt them in the light to spot bends. If one side of your coin is smooth and engraved with initials, it is a love token, a keepsake popular in the late 1800s. Those are collected in their own right, though not as dated coins.

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