1847 Seated Liberty Half Dollar

Philadelphia struck 1,156,000 half dollars in 1847 while the Mexican-American War reached its conclusion. American forces under General Winfield Scott captured Mexico City that September after an amphibious landing at Veracruz and a five-month campaign through the Mexican interior. The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo the following year would cede California and the Southwest to the United States.

The territorial gains from the treaty would bring the California gold fields under American control, setting the stage for the gold rush that would transform American coinage. Within five years, the flood of California gold would upset the gold-to-silver ratio and trigger a melting crisis that nearly destroyed the half dollar as a circulating denomination. A 7 over 6 overdate variety exists for this date and is cataloged separately. The standard 1847 is available in circulated grades at standard pricing, with examples in Good through Very Fine appearing regularly. The date represents a straightforward collecting opportunity within the No Motto era.