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1878-S Seated Liberty half dollar value guide -- the series' undisputed key date.
Condition drives the price — full breakdown below.
The undisputed key date of the entire Seated Liberty half dollar series -- only 12,000 struck at San Francisco, and even well-worn Good-4 examples are worth tens of thousands of dollars.
Cross-referenced on NGC's Coin Explorer under the same series listing (1839-1891) -- a genuinely famous rarity, not just a USA Coin Book estimate.
Other dates and varieties in this series
What to check before you pay, specific to this date and its 12,000-coin mintage.
The same date runs from about $39,385 worn to $120,159 at the top of the scale — a 3× spread. Nearly all of that gap is condition, not the date on the coin, so work out where an example sits on the table above before deciding whether its asking price is fair.
Every figure on this page depends on that S. The same year from another mint is a far more common coin, which is exactly why added and altered mint marks are the usual way this date gets faked. Ask for a close-up of the mark itself — a listing title claiming it is not evidence.
A PCGS or NGC holder settles authenticity and grade in one go, which is most of what you're actually paying for at this level. The premium it adds is small next to the cost of being wrong about either.
Every Seated Liberty Half Dollar listed here is priced by an individual seller, so the same coin in the same grade can differ by a wide margin on any given day. Sort by price, check Metal Points and order history for a sense of the seller's record, and message them if the photos don't show enough to grade confidently.
About the 1878-S Seated Liberty Half Dollar
Value depends heavily on condition. A well-worn example brings closer to $39,385, while an uncirculated one can reach $120,159 or more.
The undisputed key date of the entire Seated Liberty half dollar series -- only 12,000 struck at San Francisco, and even well-worn Good-4 examples are worth tens of thousands of dollars.
For anything you believe is a key date or an error, professional grading protects both buyer and seller by settling condition and authenticity before money changes hands.
The rest of the series, with what each is worth at the top of the grade scale.
List it free on PeerMetals — flat 2.75% seller fee, zero listing fees, 1–3 day payouts.
