1856-O Liberty Seated Half Dollar. WB-9. Rarity-5. Late Die State. Doubled Date. MS-65 (PCGS).This handsomely toned example is awash in blended copper-gray, olive, pale rose and powder blue, the most vivid color reserved for the peripheries. Sharply struck by the standards of the issuing mint, both sides also offer billowy mint luster and an exceptionally smooth appearance. With a respectable mintage of 2,658,000 coins and a number of Mint State examples known, the 1856-O is one of the more popular No Motto Liberty Seated half dollars for high grade type purposes. Gems such as this, however, are scarce when viewed in the wider context of the numismatic market, which fact confirms the significance of this offering for advanced collectors.WB-9 is among the more desirable die marriages of this issue, a loupe revealing repunching to the date that, in this late die state, is boldest on the digit 1. This late die state example, which is rarer than its early die state counterparts, is also significant due to the lack of drapery below Libertys left elbow, which design element has been effaced by relapping of the die. A light die crack is evident on the reverse at the base of the letters in the word DOL.
