Numismatic

1821 Bust Half Dollar AU

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In 1821, the United States Mint in Philadelphia produced a silver half dollar that captures the artistic spirit of a young nation. This fifty-cent piece, struck in 0.8924 fine silver, contains 0.3868 troy ounces of precious metal. It represents a fascinating era of early American coinage, showcasing hand-carved artistry and classic symbolism. The front of the coin displays a left-facing profile of Lady Liberty, her hair draped in a cloth cap inscribed with the word LIBERTY. Thirteen stars encircle her image, representing the original colonies, with the year 1821 anchored at the bottom. This portrait, created by designer John Reich, offers a soft yet dignified representation of freedom that defined the look of early nineteenth-century American currency. On the reverse, a heraldic eagle clutches an olive branch of peace in one talon and a bundle of arrows of defense in the other. A shield is placed over the eagle's chest, while a scroll above bears the national motto, E PLURIBUS UNUM. The inscriptions around the border read UNITED STATES OF AMERICA and denote the face value at the bottom as 50 C. This particular specimen survives in an impressive Almost Uncirculated condition, preserving the fine details of a mintage that originally totaled 1,305,797 pieces.