[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: 129,950

PROOFS: At least 3 so-called proofs exist.

VARIETIES:

• Authors’ Research Effort: extensive

• Number of Die Marriages Documented: 4

• Number of Head Dies Identified: 4

• Number of Tail Dies Identified: 2

• Number of Collar Reed Counts Identified: 1 (140)

• Standard Diameter or Diameter Range: 1.205 to 1.208 inches

• Number of Major Varieties: 1

• WB-101. LARGE MINTMARK. (2 TAIL DIES)
  Both tail dies are marked with a large S mintmark. There is a slight variation in the placement of the mintmarks with one S almost centered high above the letter F and the other being more to the right with the right side of the S in line with the right side of the F. One head die can be identified by a large lump on Liberty’s hip about .05″ above the right center of the shield. (Breen-4864 and 4865)

COMMENTS:

• All dies used for 1855-S coinage appear to have been drastically abraded and polished unnecessarily, considering the mintage. Three of four head dies identified have very little or no drapery remaining below the elbow. The fourth head has about 2/3 drapery. Both tails identified have incomplete vertical stripes in the shield, One tail has weak or missing stripes at the bottoms of the left side of the three set of stripes. The second tail is not as bad with only the third set of stripes from the left weak. Because all head dies were heavily polished, no “halo” phenomenon is present around the stars and date.

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.
• The “Louisiana Hoard”, assembled between 1976-1983, was examined by Wiley in April 1986 and contained 87 1855-S halves. The hoard break down by grade was as follows: AG/G (15), VG (27), F (17), VF (14), XF (9), AU (4), and UNC (1), ex-Ivy “Stanford” 7/76.