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Half Dollar
1840-P Seated Liberty Half Dollar (1839-1891)
FS-401
Key Features
FS-401: 'Open Claw' die crack through eagle's claw [Cross-ref: WB-9] Source: https://nnp.wustl.edu/encyclopedia/catcoinentry/373149 A sprawling series that survived the Gold Rush and Civil War. Features Christian Gobrecht's classic Seated Liberty design.
Intriguing History
By 1840, the country was mired in the Panic of 1837, one of the worst depressions the young nation had faced, with banks failing and hard money scarce; President Van Buren's unpopular response gave way in 1841 to William Henry Harrison's month-long presidency and then John Tyler's contested succession. This Seated Liberty half dollar was doing the heavy lifting of American commerce as a large silver coin through exactly this period.
Total Weight12.50 g