QUARTER DOLLAR 1838-1865 Liberty Seated

Front - 1838 quarter dollar liberty coin

Description

This is the first Quarter minted in exact proportion of 90% silver and 10% copper. In addition, the overall weight of this Quarter began to shrink as the Mint got chincy with the supply of silver. Note the 103.125 grains of total weight is down from 104 grains in prior issues. Making the issue of weight even more noteworthy, is the reduction of total weight in issues beginning in 1856. No coins were struck in 1854 or 1855.

Also, as if to make up for a tremendous lack of Quarters in circulation, the mint produced more than ten times the number of coins in this period than the prior. The year 1838 marked the first year for the Liberty Seated design in the Quarter. Matching other new silver designs of the time, the quarter dollar depicts Miss Liberty seated on a rock, her left hand holding a liberty cap on a pole and her right holding a shield inscribed LIBERTY. Thirteen stars are at the border, and the date is below. The reverse is somewhat similar to the proceeding, except the denomination is expressed differently. An eagle is perched on an olive branch and holds three arrows. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA is above and the denomination QUAR. DOL. is below. There is no motto on the reverse. Early issues lack drapery at Miss Liberty's elbow. From 1853 through 1855 special varieties with arrows at date were made and are different types.

Valuation

There should be no trouble in obtaining coins graded from Good through Extremely Fine, although it is important to note that Liberty Seated quarters of this era are more scarce than half dimes, dimes, or half dollars.

COIN NAME
QUARTER DOLLAR 1838-1865 Liberty Seated: DESIGNED BY
Christian Gobrecht: ISSUE DATE
1838-1865: COMPOSITION
0.900 part silver, 0.100 part copper: DIAMETER
24.3 mm: WEIGHT
103.125 grains 1838 to 1853 no arrows; 96 grains later: EDGE
Reeded: BUS MINT
46,685,313: PROOF MINT
fewer than 5,500

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