[The following article is published courtesy of DLRC Press and its authors, Randy Wiley and Bill Bugert. This information was originally published in 1993 in The Complete Guide to Liberty Seated Half Dollars.]

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MINTAGE: 1,252,000

PROOFS: At least 5 are known.

VARIETIES:

• Authors’ Research Effort: extensive

• Number of Die Marriages Documented: 14

• Number of Head Dies Identified: 11

• Number of Tail Dies Identified: 12

• Number of Collar Reed Counts Identified: 2 (144, 145)

• Standard Diameter or Diameter Range: 1.197 to 1.202 inches

• Number of Major Varieties: 6

• WB-101. NORMAL DATE. (5 HEAD DIES)
  Most marriages are categorized under this variety. Some of these marriages are seen with bounce die
  doubling on the digits in the date, and they are often confused with the following recut date die varieties. (Breen-4814)
• WB-102. DRAMATICALLY DOUBLED DATE. (1 HEAD DIE)
  This popular variety is one of the rarities of the Liberty Seated Half Dollar series. The entire date was dramatically repunched east, with remnants of the bottoms of all four digits in the first date plainly and heavily visible in the field to the left of all the prominent digits. Additionally, there is the lower loop of an errant 9 partially protruding from the rock above the prominent 49, and the top ioop of another errant 9 in the denticles below the date. The reverse is lightly cracked and there are horizontal die polish lines in the lower reverse shield. (Breen-4816)
• WB-103. DOUBLED DATE. (1 HEAD DIE)
  The final date is punched obliquely over the first date with the 9 being noticeably lower than the 1. This scarce variety has often been confused with the rare WB-102 by overzealous auction catalogers. There is fairly “dramatic” doubling on the digit 1 which is recut north with remnants of the first punch plainly visible below the serif and the base of the prominent 1. However, recutting on the other 3 digits is fairly minor with slight signs of doubling below the prominent 8 and 4 and above the prominent 9. This variety is sometimes seen with bounce die doubling in addition to the normal recut date characteristics. (See [16] page 337.) (Breen-48157)
• WB-104. RECUT 1. (1 HEAD DIE)
  The 1 is very faintly repunched. Above the serif of the 1 is a weak horizontal line, a remnant of the first punching. This variety is often seen with bounced die doubling in addition to the normal recut 1
  characteristic. (Breen-481 5)
• WB-105. RECUT 9. (1 HEAD DIE)
  This variety has the 9 recut northeast, remnants of the first punching show on the loop’s lower outside edge and the loop’s inside upper right. (Breen-4815)
• WB-106. RECUT 184. (1 HEAD DIE)
  This variety has a lightly doubled 84 and a heavily doubled 1. There are remnants of slight doubling below the 8, and below the crossbar of the 4. On higher grade coins, the 8 appears to have been doubled punched on top of each other thereby showing two partial layers of metal. The prominent 1 has a small tine on the top of the serif from a previous punching as well as a heavy remnant of an earlier 1 below the serif of the prominent 1. (Breen-Unlisted)

COMMENTS:

• Most 1849 Liberty Seated Half Dollars are fully struck, have complete foot support and drapery and the dies are minimally abraded. However, many dies are lightly cracked.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

• This date s overpriced by most price guides because of claims that many were melted.