1854 Liberty Seated Half Dime. Arrows. MS-65 (PCGS). CAC. Extraordinary pastel blue iridescence dominates the obverse of this beautiful Gem. The reverse exhibits similar color around the periphery that yields to pale pink in the center. Both sides have blushes of reddish-gold in isolated areas at the borders. The surfaces are intensely satiny, silky smooth and expertly preserved in all regards. Sharply struck from heavily clashed dies, evidence of which is seen in the fields around the central design elements on both the obverse and reverse.When the price of silver increased in relation to the price of gold due to the economic effects of the California Gold Rush, more and more silver coins disappeared from circulation throughout the early 1850s. To combat this, the Act of February 21, 1853, stipulated that the weight of all minor silver denominations except the dollar be reduced; for the half dime, this meant a reduction in weight from 20.625 grains to 19.200 grains. Arrows were placed on either side of the date to distinguish the new tenor coins from their older, heavier counterparts. Large quantities of half dimes were struck to the new weight standard, 5,740,000 circulation strikes at the Philadelphia Mint in 1854 alone. Fortunately, this provides a nice supply of specimens for collectors, even in Mint State. Even so, the 1854 is scarce to rare in the finest grades, as here, and demand is strong given that the Arrows design is a requirement for completion of a type set of classic United States Mint coinage.
