Hobbies And Interests
Philadelphia -- MS
3,844,000 "Mint State" Liberty Seated Half Dollars rolled out of the Philadelphia mint in 1843. Coins that are considered "mint" do not have any indications of circulation, although dents from the manufacturing process may appear. There is a grading system for mint coins from MS-60 to MS-70; MS-70 indicates perfect condition (sound color, even strike, minimal manufacturing marks). As of May 2011, the highest known 1843-MS Liberty Seated Half Dollar is an MS-65, valued at $15,000. An MS-60 would be valued at $525, and the lowest-rated coins, rated "G" for "Good," are valued at $32.
Philadelphia -- PR
Approximately 10 "Proof" Liberty Seated Half Dollars were minted in Philadelphia in 1843. Proof coins are graded on an even stricter scale than "Mint State" coins, with virtually no blemishes at all allowed for a coin to be graded between PR-60 and PR-70. The highest known grade of an 1843-PR half dollar is a PR-64, valued at $35,000 as of May, 2011.
New Orleans -- MS
2,268,000 "Mint State" Liberty Seated Half Dollars were struck at the New Orleans mint in 1843. Half dollars minted in New Orleans have an "O" somewhere on them, to distinguish them from coins minted in Philadelphia (which had no designation in 1843). Sometimes the "O" appeared under the figure of Liberty, as in 1838, but in 1843 there is a large "O" over the "F" in "HALF," on the reverse side, directly beneath the eagle. As with the Philadelphia "Mint State" version, "G"-rated coins are valued at $32 as of May, 2011, and the MS-65-rated coins are valued at $15,000.
Commemorative Half Dollars
Commemorative half dollars have been minted to celebrate everything from the 1994 World Cup of Soccer, which was held in the United States, to the building of the Capitol Visitors' Center, and to commemorate conflicts such as the Civil War. However, no commemorative edition of the Liberty Seated Half Dollar was minted.