Stella Flowing Hair – 1/2 Troy Ounce – 30mm

A flowing portrait of Liberty, a five-pointed star, and a coinage idea that never reached circulation.

The Stella Flowing Hair silver round brings an unusual American pattern design to a half-ounce format. Struck in .999 fine silver, its 30mm surface pairs Liberty’s long, curling hair with the distinctive star that gives the Stella its name. A Brilliant Uncirculated finish highlights the portrait, lettering, and beaded borders.

The Four-Dollar Experiment

The original gold Stellas were experimental four-dollar patterns of 1879 and 1880, proposed to make international exchange more convenient. Charles E. Barber designed the Flowing Hair portrait; George T. Morgan created the alternative Coiled Hair design. Neither became regular circulating coinage. “Stella” is Latin for “star,” reflected in the central reverse motif.

Historic Inspiration in Modern Silver

This tribute adapts the pattern’s composition to a modern silver round. The weight and purity lettering, “AG STELLA .999 FINE,” and “HALF OUNCE” identify the silver version. The 1879 date is part of the commemorative design, rather than the round’s production date.

Liberty faces left, with waves of hair sweeping behind her neck and falling in curls. The flowing strands give this portrait a distinctly different character from the gathered hairstyle of the Coiled Hair companion. On the reverse, the large beaded star provides a bold contrast to the portrait’s fine detail.

Design Details

• Obverse: Flowing Hair Liberty, surrounded by star-separated weight and purity lettering, with “1879” below.
• Reverse: A five-pointed beaded star containing “AG STELLA .999 FINE” and a flourish. Surrounding inscriptions include “E PLURIBUS UNUM,” “DEO EST GLORIA,” “UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,” and “HALF OUNCE.”

Specifications

• Weight: 1/2 Troy Ounce
• Purity: .999 Fine Silver
• Diameter: 30mm
• Thickness: 2.56mm
• Edge: Reeded
• Finish: Brilliant Uncirculated

Explore more designs in our silver round collection.