1873 Arrows Proof

The 1873 Arrows proof half dollar stands at the dividing line of the Seated Liberty series. The Coinage Act of 1873 nudged the half dollar's weight standard upward from 12.44 grams to 12.50 grams, and Mint engravers placed small arrowheads on either side of the date to flag the new alloy weight for assayers and bankers. Philadelphia's proof department prepared the first With Motto Arrows dies in the spring of 1873 and struck a small ceremonial run for collectors and institutional subscribers. The result is a Type 6 coin that opens a two-year subtype, captures a real legislative pivot, and survives in numbers far smaller than its circulation counterpart.

Authenticating a genuine 1873 Arrows proof begins with the date and the surrounding arrowheads. The numerals sit deeply impressed with squared serifs, and both arrows show full feather lines and crisp shaft definition that a transferred or added arrow cannot duplicate. The proof striking carries deeply mirrored fields against frosted, fully struck devices: every shield line, every leaf in the wreath, and the talon detail on the eagle should read sharp under a loupe. Weight is a decisive check at 12.50 grams in 90 percent silver, separating Arrows pieces from the lighter 12.44-gram standard used through April 1873. Edge reeding on proofs is even and unbroken, and the rims rise square rather than rounded. Collectors should also confirm the coin's mirror is original and not a polished business strike, since the small proof population invites alteration. Approximately 550 proofs were delivered, placing the issue at R-4 and well below most other With Motto proof dates of the early 1870s.

For collectors, the 1873 Arrows proof is a single-issue trophy that anchors the Arrows subtype in any proof type set and any complete Seated Liberty half dollar proof run; to place it within the broader Type 6 transition, see the Seated Liberty Half Dollar series history.