Numismatic

1848 Liberty Seated Half Dollar Fine

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The year 1848 marked a fascinating era in American coinage, captured beautifully in this silver half dollar. Struck at the Philadelphia Mint, this fifty-cent piece carries no mint mark, a traditional practice for the nation's primary coining facility during the mid-nineteenth century. The coin is composed of 90 percent silver, containing 0.3575 troy ounces of the precious metal, and emerged from a total mintage of 580,000 pieces. Designed by Christian Gobrecht, the obverse of the coin presents a seated figure of Liberty. She holds a staff topped with a liberty cap in one hand while her other hand rests on a shield, symbolizing protection and freedom. The year 1848 is clearly inscribed beneath this central figure. On the reverse, an eagle is depicted with a shield across its chest. The bird grips three arrows and an olive branch in its talons, representing strength and peace. Surrounding the eagle are the inscriptions UNITED STATES OF AMERICA and the denomination, abbreviated as HALF DOL.