1853 50C Seated Liberty Half Dollar, Arrows & Rays PCGS MS66 (CAC)

This coin is a legacy piece, one for you to enjoy for many years to come, and then hand down to a child or grandchild as part of your numismatic legacy. This rare example of a popular one-year type will be a family heirloom to keep throughout the generations.

Many collectors consider the Seated Liberty design to have been crafted solely by Christian Gobrecht. However, it was a collaboration of several hands and minds before it appeared on the half dollar and other coins. It was U.S. Mint Director Robert B. Patterson, who, in 1835, was desirous of a new coin that was reminiscent of Britannia on British copper, or images of Liberty from the French Revolution. Artist Thomas Sully was tasked with crafting a rendering of Liberty based on a set of British coins and medals. Then Sully's work was given to the newly hired engraver, Christian Gobrecht, who created a series of drawings before producing a copper die for study and presentation in Washington, D.C. When the new half dollars were produced, starting in 1839, they had an updated reverse that was a freshly engraved version of John Reich's 1807 half dollar eagle reverse design--sans the motto and ribbon. The obverse design was tinkered with further before the release of the 1853 Arrows & Rays one-year type coin. It was in 1839 that the sculptor Robert Ball Hughes lowered the relief, refined the proportions and dynamics of the Liberty, and added an eloquent fold of cloth from the right elbow. Thus the design as we know it today should be called the "Patterson-Sully-Gobrecht-Hughes" design.

The 1853 Arrows & Rays one-year type was the result of events surrounding the California gold rush of the early 1850s. For over 50 years, the precious metal content of U.S. gold and silver coins was determined by the relative value of 16 parts silver to one part gold. That changed as gold became more plentiful, as its value declined in relation to the value of silver. In other words, silver's value increased vis-à-vis that of gold, resulting in silver coinage virtually disappearing from circulation. Before that time, a face value of $100 of silver coins had a bullion value to purchase $100 of gold coins; but now, with the change of value, that same $100 worth of silver coins was sufficient to buy more than $106.50 in gold coins. Therefore, speculators in bullion melted silver coins to buy up gold coins, then used the gold coins to purchase more silver coins. That process was repeated over and over, until, by 1853, most silver U.S. coins were worth more as precious metal, and the melting continued unabated.

The solution? Mint Director George N. Eckert called on Congress to lower the weight of most coins so melting them would lose their profitability. The resultant Coinage Act of 1853 lowered the weight (and the silver content) of the half dollar and other coins. This law greatly reduced the widespread melting of silver coins, and brought them back to the pockets and cash registers of America. Now Mint officials had to make the new coins easily distinguishable from the earlier, heavier coins. To that end, arrows were placed around the date from 1853 to 1855 on half dollars and other coins. For good measure the reverse was adorned with rays emanating from the eagle. The rays were only found on the coins of 1853. Thus we have the one-year type coin: 1853 Seated Liberty half dollar Arrows & Rays.