1843-O 50C Liberty Seated Half Dollar NGC SE Ex.SS New York

A desirable O-Mint Liberty Seated half at a good price!

Here’s an unusual specimen to add to your numismatic holdings: an 1843-O shipwreck effect Liberty Seated half dollar. Research indicates widespread use of Liberty Seated half dollars in the China trade. Gaps between the total mintages of these coins versus the number encapsulated and graded could point to huge numbers of Liberty Seated halves being sent to Asia.

The production of 1843-O half dollars was 2,268,000. Conversely, there are only 486 original examples of the 1843-O graded by PCGS and NGC, representing a tiny 0.0214 percent of its mintage. That suggests that perhaps a few million 1843-O half dollars were shipped to China to trade for tea, silk, and other items.

A chopmarked 1852-O Liberty Seated half dollar, providing evidence that New Orleans Mint halves were sent to China in trade. Photo: Heritage Auction Galleries.