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1840-O Drapery
| Weight | 1.34 g |
| Diameter | 15.5 mm |
| Mint | New Orleans |
| Strike | Circulation strike |
| Mintage | 935,000 Combined mintage for all 1840-O varieties |
| Edge | Reeded |
| Alignment | ↑↓ Coin |
| Composition | 90% Silver, 10% Copper |
| Melt value | — |
| Designer | Christian Gobrecht |
| Collector's Key ID | CK-1048 |
Collection
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Other recorded varieties for 1840-O:
- 1840-O No Drapery · No Drapery
External references
The 1840-O With Drapery half dime is a scarce transitional issue. New Orleans produced both No Drapery and Drapery varieties in 1840, and the With Drapery version is notably scarcer than the No Drapery. The total combined New Orleans 1840 mintage was 935,000 coins, split between the two varieties in uneven proportions. The With Drapery accounts for the smaller share.
The semi-key status reflects both the lower mintage and the difficulty of finding the variety in any grade above Fine. Most surviving examples are in lower circulated condition, and higher-grade pieces command meaningful premiums. Uncirculated 1840-O With Drapery half dimes are genuinely rare and appear at auction infrequently.
The coin combines branch-mint scarcity with the introduction of the Drapery design, giving it dual collector appeal. A complete Seated Liberty half dime type set could reasonably use the 1840-O With Drapery as both the New Orleans representative and the first-year-Drapery representative, consolidating two type-set goals into a single coin.
Reference data only — not an appraisal.
| Grade | Description | Low | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| G-4 | Good (G) | — | — |
| VG-8 | Very Good (VG) | — | — |
| F-12 | Fine (F) | — | — |
| VF-20 | Very Fine (VF) | — | — |
| EF-40 | Extremely Fine (EF) | — | — |
| AU-50 | About Uncirculated (AU) | — | — |
| MS-60 | Uncirculated (MS) | — | — |
| MS-63 | Choice Uncirculated (MS) | — | — |
How many 1840-O Drapery Seated Liberty Half Dimes were minted?
What is a 1840-O Drapery Seated Liberty Half Dime made of?
What is the melt value of a 1840-O Drapery Seated Liberty Half Dime?
Is the 1840-O Drapery Seated Liberty Half Dime a key date?
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