1870 Proof Seated Liberty Half Dollar

Approximately 1,000 proof half dollars were struck in 1870, a notable increase from the 600-level of the late 1860s that reflected growing collector demand for annual proof sets. The same year saw the opening of the Carson City Mint, which began striking circulation half dollars using Comstock Lode silver.

The jump to 1,000 proofs represented a meaningful expansion of the collector base. The Fifteenth Amendment was ratified in February, and the Franco-Prussian War dominated international headlines. Proof production at roughly 1,000 coins per year would become the standard through the early 1870s. The 1870 proof is available to collectors building annual proof sets of the With Motto era, and the higher mintage makes it more accessible than the 600-coin proofs of the preceding years.