Q. David Bowers (edited and updated by Mike Sherman): Christian Gobrecht’s Liberty Seated motif, used on half dimes from 1837 through the end of the series in 1873, was struck in 1837 at the Philadelphia Mint and the following year at the New Orleans Mint, without obverse stars, thus isolating these two issues as a separate type. The obverse depicts the figure of Liberty seated on a rock, her left hand holding a liberty cap on a pole and her right hand holding a shield inscribed LIBERTY. The date is at the bottom border. The reverse consists of an open wreath tied with a ribbon, enclosing HALF DIME, with UNITED STATES OF AMERICA surrounding. The Liberty Seated design without stars on the obverse was used only on the half dimes and dimes, not on quarters of half dollars. In the dollar series, the no-stars motif appears only in pattern form in 1836.
In 1838 stars were added to the obverse of the Liberty Seated design. Otherwise the motif is similar to the 1837 and 1838-O Liberty Seated pieces. From 1838 thorough 1859 many different varieties were produced, including some struck at the New Orleans Mint (and bearing a distinctive O mintmark on the reverse). Early issues lacked drapery at Liberty’s elbow. In 1853 the Liberty Seated design was modified by the addition of arrowheads to the left and right of the date to signify a decrease in the authorized weight from 20.625 grains to 19.200 grains. These arrows remained in place through 1855, after which they were discontinued, although the reduced weight remained in effect.
In the half dime and dime series, a modification to the design occurred in 1860. The Liberty Seated motif was retained as the central obverse design, but the peripheral stars were eliminated in favor of the inscription UNITED STATES OF AMERICA that had previously appeared around the border of the reverse. The date remained below Liberty. The reverse wreath was restyled to a larger format without lettering at the border, enclosing the denomination expressed as HALF DIME. This style was continued thorough the end of the denomination in 1873.