[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: 759,500

PROOFS: Possibly 20 normal dates and at least 3 overdates exist.

VARIETIES:

• Authors’ Research Effort: substantial

• Number of Die Marriages Documented: 8

• Number of Head Dies Identified: 7

• Number of Tail Dies Identified: 6

• Number of Collar Reed Counts Identified: 2 (145, 146)

• Standard Diameter or Diameter Range: 1.198 to 1.204 inches

• Number of Major Varieties: 2

• WB-101. NORMAL DATE. (4 HEAD DIES)
  Many die marriages exist for this variety. (Breen-4855 and 4856)
• WB-102. 1855 RECUT OVER 854. (3 HEAD DIES)
  Each head die is paired to a single (different) tail die. In early die states, the head dies show similar evidence of the underlying 854 date. Most often, the top loop of the 8, the upright, loop, and flag of the 5, as well as the crossbar of the 4 show plainly. These remnants fade with die wear and polishing such that in late die states only the crossbar of the 4 may show in the lower loop above the ball of the second 5. Different patterns of die clashing show in the drapery below the elbow. One head die can be distinguished by a large lump in the rock to the lower right of the shield point; the other has a die line in the recessed area of the end of the ribbon point. Two reed counts (145, 146) exist for this variety. At least 3 proofs are known and they are believed to be from a different head die than the two listed here but this has not been verified by the authors.  (Breen-4858)

COMMENTS:

• Most 1855 Liberty Seated Half Dollars seen are strongly struck with full foot support. Some late die state weak-drapery coins are known.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

• There is no variation in the placement of the date and arrows which we believe were punched into a master head die.
• Each head die is found with an arrow at each side of the date signifying a weight reduction made in 1853 from 206.25 to 192 grains.
• “Halos” can often be found around the stars, the digits in the date, and to a lesser extent, the central device of many head dies for this date. We believe that the cause for this “halo” phenomenon can be traced back to the construction of a temporary master die for this date as well as 1853 and 1854. In each year, a regular working die was converted to a temporary master die by repunching all stars and heavily impressing a date and arrows heads. All elements were impressed with such force that the bases of the punches transferred to the die as halos around each element. These halos transferred from the master die to the working hub and subsequent working dies and coins such that early die state coins of all early dies show the phenomenon.