1837 Liberty Seated Half Dime. No Stars. V-1. Large Date. Repunched Date. MS-67 (PCGS). CAC. This is an absolutely stunning jewel with strong visual appeal and exceptional surface quality. The luster is uniformly satiny and fully undisturbed beneath a glass. A blend of tangerine, sea-green and golden patina accents the obverse, while the reverse is adorned by pale navy blue and bronze shades. Very well struck across the central elements. Among the finest known survivors, it ranks at the top of the Population Reports for both PCGS and CAC, making it an ideal candidate for the finest Registry Set of half dimes or Liberty Seated type.<p>After the Liberty Seated design was introduced on the dollar denomination in 1836, it was shrunk to size for the half dime and dime denominations in early 1837, followed by the quarter dollar in 1838 and the half dollar in 1839. The half dime, the smallest showcase of the Gobrecht design, was first struck on July 25, 1837. "I have the pleasure to send you herewith 20 half dimes of the new emission," Mint Director Robert Maskell Patterson wrote to Treasury Secretary Levi Woodbury that day. "You will see that they are fair similes of the new dimes."<p>The popular first year 1837 is one of only two issues in the Liberty Seated half dime series to display the cameo-like No Stars design on the obverse, which is prized as the most undiluted and attractive portrayal of Gobrechts design. Stars were introduced on the obverse of the half dime beginning with the 1838 Philadelphia issue, making this 1837 Superb Gem a truly historic treasure from a brief and popular design type.
