1837 Half Dollar - 1837 50C NGC MS62. Reeded Edge, 50 CENTS. This Mint State Capped Bust, 50 CENTS half dollar has speckles of light tan toning over silvery fields and devices. These bits of toning attest to the coins originality. A few abrasion marks, notably in front of Libertys neck and chin, keep this piece from a higher Mint State grade. The strike is above average on the obverse with full details on about half of the stars and bold on the reverse with full details on the eagle and the border letters.

The coins design is a slight reworking of John Reichs original Capped Bust half dollar. It has a smaller diameter reduced from 32.5 millimeters to 30 millimeters and a reeded edge. Beginning in 1836 the Mint introduced a new steam press. The Mint Director, Robert Maskell Patterson sent 10 examples of the new coins to Treasury Secretary Levi Woodbury. In his letter that accompanied the specimens Patterson said, The old [half dollar] coins were struck in what we term an open collar; this is struck in a close collar, which makes the edges of pieces thicker, and gives a mathematical equality to their diameters. The close collar also eliminated the need for edge lettering, which was supplanted by reeding placed on the edge of the coin at the time of striking.

Christian Gobrecht made working dies for the new half dollar by copying Reichs old devices. He dropped the motto E PLURIBUS UNUM and changed the denomination to 50 CENTS. In 1838 it changed to HALF DOL. to be uniform with the quarter and silver dollar.

The original Capped Bust half dollar was designed by John Reich. It is similar to his Capped Bust quarter dollar. The half dollar shows a plump, capped head of Liberty in profile facing left. She wears a LIBERTY inscribed headband. Seven six-pointed stars are to the left and six are to the right with the date below. The reverse shows the heraldic eagle looking left with wings raised. The required inscription UNITED STATES OF AMERICA surrounds the coin, and the denomination is below.

John Reich, a skilled engraver, was born in Bavaria and came to the United States around 1800. In order to finance his passage, he sold himself into servitude. President Thomas Jefferson recommended that Reich be hired as an engraver at the Mint in 1801. When he was serving in Washingtons Cabinet, Jefferson was in charge of the Mint as Secretary of State. While in France, Jefferson developed a working knowledge of the minting process. Reich was hired for other duties, but he eventually became an engraver. He had a superb eye for the complicated aesthetics of coin engraving. At this time his freedom was purchased by an unknown mint official. Although Chief Engraver Robert Scot designed most of the coins at the mint since 1794, it was said that Reich had much more talent and ability than Scot.

In 1826 Gobrecht did his first work for the Mint as an assistant to William Kneass. After Kneass suffered a debilitating stroke, Gobrecht did all the die and pattern work for the Mint. He became Chief Engraver in 1840 and served until his death in 1844. He was famous for his Liberty Seated motif, which was used for all denominations of silver coinage including the half-dime, dime, quarter dollar, half dollar and silver dollar. He also designed the Liberty Head gold eagle, a motif that was also used on the half-cent, the cent, the gold quarter eagle, and the gold half eagle.