Numismatic

1831 Bust Half Dollar VG

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In 1831, the Philadelphia Mint produced this silver half dollar, a denomination that served as a cornerstone of daily commerce in early America. Struck with a silver purity of 0.8924, this coin represents a fascinating era of United States coinage, carrying a total metal weight of 0.3868 troy ounces of silver. This particular piece survives in Very Good condition, showing the honest wear of a coin that actively circulated during the Jacksonian era. The obverse displays a left-facing portrait of Lady Liberty, her hair flowing beneath a draped cap. Inscribed upon her band is the word LIBERTY, while the year 1831 is struck boldly below the bust. This design, created by John Reich, offers a window into the artistic sensibilities of the early nineteenth-century republic. On the reverse, a powerful heraldic eagle dominates the center, its chest protected by a striped shield. In its talons, the eagle grasps an olive branch and a bundle of arrows, symbolizing a nation prepared for both peace and defense. The legend around the rim reads UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, accompanied by the scroll reading E PLURIBUS UNUM, while the denomination is marked at the bottom as 50 C.