1840 O Seated Liberty Half Dime - No Drapery
Updated August 19, 2026
| Lot number | 57 |
| Auction | VARIETY COIN AUCTION - 8/26/26 |
| Date | August 26, 2026 at 7:05 PM CDT |
| Auction house | BIGBIDNOW |
| Location | Columbia, Missouri |
1840-O Seated Liberty Half Dime – No Drapery, struck at the New Orleans Mint. This early U.S. silver half dime represents the first year of the Seated Liberty design at the New Orleans Mint and is an interesting issue for collectors of early American coinage. Please review the photos for the exact condition, surfaces, strike, and overall appearance. The Seated Liberty Half Dime was designed by Christian Gobrecht and features Liberty seated on a rock, holding a liberty pole and shield on the obverse. The reverse displays the denomination “HALF DIME” surrounded by a laurel wreath. The 1840-O had a mintage of 975,000 coins. The No Drapery variety refers to the early version of the Seated Liberty design, before additional drapery was added to Liberty's elbow area later in 1840. The New Orleans Mint issue is especially interesting as an early branch-mint example of the new design. The coin was struck in 90% silver and 10% copper, weighs approximately 1.34 grams, and measures about 15.9 mm in diameter. The “O” mint mark appears on the reverse below the wreath.
