50 Cents, Proof, United States, 1838
date: label: date made
content: 1838
name: label: mint
content: U.S. Mint, New Orleans
label: designer
content: Gobrecht, Christian
notes: label: Description (Brief)
content: One (1) 50 cent coin, proof
label: Description (Brief)
content: United States, 1838
label: Description (Brief)
content: Obverse Image: Left-facing bust of Liberty wearing a cap. 13 stars along coin edge.
label: Description (Brief)
content: Obverse Text: LIBERTY / 1838 / O
label: Description (Brief)
content: Reverse Image: Eagle with wings outstretched clutching arrows and branch in talons, shield over chest.
label: Description (Brief)
content: Reverse Text: UNITED STATES OF AMERICA / HALF DOL.
label: Description
content: In 1835, Congress amended American coining laws. These laws made numismatic history. Three branches of the United States Mint were established. Two were in the southern Piedmont region, at Charlotte, North Carolina and Dahlonega, Georgia. These facilities were intended for the coinage of gold.
label: Description
content: The third branch was set up at New Orleans, Louisiana, hundreds of miles from any mining activity, but the major port of entry for gold and silver coinage shipped in from Mexico and points south. It is estimated that twenty 1838-dated half dollars were struck in proof, perhaps at the beginning of the following year. Numismatist and U.S. coin encyclopedist Walter Breen believed they were minted to test the coining capabilities of a new large press. But they also could have been intended as presentation pieces. We know of eleven survivors. We don't know what happened to the other nine.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
place: label: place of issue
content: United States
setName: label: See more items in
content: Work and Industry: National Numismatic Collection
label: See more items in
content: Coins, Currency and Medals
publisher: label: Related Publication
content: Glossary of Coins and Currency Terms
label: Related Web Publication
content: http://americanhistory.si.edu/coins/glossary.cfm
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: U.S. Department of the Treasury, U.S. Mint
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: 1985.0441.0295
label: catalog number
content: 1985.0441.0295
label: accession number
content: 1985.0441
objectType: label: Object Name
content: coin
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: silver (overall metal)
label: Physical Description
content: 0 (overall die axis)
label: Physical Description
content: 0 (overall die axis measurement)
label: Physical Description
content: struck (overall production method)
label: Measurements
content: overall: .2 cm x 3 cm; 3/32 in x 1 3/16 in