United States Seated Liberty Dollars
1840–1873 • No Motto & With Motto • Carson City Rarities • Key Dates
Seated Liberty Dollar Value Guide
These are approximate retail values for problem-free, authentic Seated Liberty dollars at three benchmark grades: Good-4 (heavily worn), XF-40 (light wear), and MS-60 (uncirculated). Every coin holds 0.7734 troy ounces of silver, worth about $45 with silver at $57.91 per ounce on October 19, 2026. Even so, collector demand keeps the most common dates far above melt. A dash means the date rarely trades in that grade, so no guide value is listed.
No Motto Type (1840–1866)
| Date / Mint | Mintage | Good-4 | XF-40 | MS-60 | Shop |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1840 | 61,005 | $325 | $1,500 | $7,000 | eBay → |
| 1841 | 173,000 | $350 | $1,100 | $5,000 | eBay → |
| 1842 | 184,618 | $285 | $1,025 | $3,250 | eBay → |
| 1843 | 165,100 | $285 | $1,025 | $3,500 | eBay → |
| 1844 | 20,000 | $400 | $1,500 | $8,000 | eBay → |
| 1845 | 24,500 | $350 | $1,500 | $7,500 | eBay → |
| 1846 | 110,600 | $285 | $1,025 | $2,750 | eBay → |
| 1846-O | 59,000 | $285 | $1,250 | $8,250 | eBay → |
| 1847 | 140,750 | $285 | $1,025 | $3,250 | eBay → |
| 1848 | 15,000 | $650 | $2,500 | $9,000 | eBay → |
| 1849 | 62,600 | $350 | $1,100 | $3,750 | eBay → |
| 1850 | 7,500 | $650 | $3,500 | $7,500 | eBay → |
| 1850-O | 40,000 | $400 | $2,100 | $15,000 | eBay → |
| 1851 | 1,300 | $14,000 | $27,500 | $65,000 | eBay → |
| 1852 | 1,100 | — | $30,000 | $60,000 | eBay → |
| 1853 | 46,110 | $500 | $2,500 | $6,500 | eBay → |
| 1854 | 33,140 | — | $6,000 | $19,000 | eBay → |
| 1855 | 26,000 | $750 | $5,000 | $19,000 | eBay → |
| 1856 | 63,500 | — | $2,750 | $11,250 | eBay → |
| 1857 | 94,000 | — | $2,750 | $8,500 | eBay → |
| 1858 | 210 (proofs) | Proof-only issue — no business strikes were made | eBay → | ||
| 1859 | 255,700 | — | $1,100 | $5,500 | eBay → |
| 1859-O | 360,000 | $285 | $675 | $2,750 | eBay → |
| 1859-S | 20,000 | — | $2,000 | $11,000 | eBay → |
| 1860 | 217,600 | $285 | $850 | $3,600 | eBay → |
| 1860-O | 515,000 | $285 | $675 | $2,750 | eBay → |
| 1861 | 77,500 | — | $3,500 | $9,500 | eBay → |
| 1862 | 11,540 | $1,600 | $5,000 | $8,500 | eBay → |
| 1863 | 27,200 | $1,000 | $4,000 | $7,500 | eBay → |
| 1864 | 30,700 | $900 | $3,000 | $8,500 | eBay → |
| 1865 | 46,500 | $900 | $3,250 | $7,250 | eBay → |
| 1866 No Motto | 2 known | Transitional rarity — one sold for $1,207,500 in 2005 | eBay → | ||
With Motto Type (1866–1873)
| Date / Mint | Mintage | Good-4 | XF-40 | MS-60 | Shop |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1866 | 48,900 | $525 | $1,750 | $3,850 | eBay → |
| 1867 | 46,900 | $700 | $2,000 | $5,500 | eBay → |
| 1868 | 162,100 | $500 | $1,750 | $4,750 | eBay → |
| 1869 | 423,700 | $500 | $1,250 | $4,000 | eBay → |
| 1870 | 415,000 | $400 | $875 | $2,750 | eBay → |
| 1870-CC | ~12,462 | $2,000 | $7,500 | $30,000 | eBay → |
| 1870-S | None recorded | Roughly 9–12 known — the finest (MS-62) sold for $1,092,500 in 2003 | eBay → | ||
| 1871 | 1,073,800 | $400 | $875 | $2,750 | eBay → |
| 1871-CC | 1,376 | $6,000 | $21,000 | $95,000 | eBay → |
| 1872 | 1,105,500 | $400 | $875 | $2,750 | eBay → |
| 1872-CC | 3,150 | $2,750 | $11,000 | $30,000 | eBay → |
| 1872-S | 9,000 | $1,150 | $4,000 | $17,500 | eBay → |
| 1873 | 293,000 | $400 | $875 | $5,000 | eBay → |
| 1873-CC | 2,300 | $18,500 | $37,500 | $185,000 | eBay → |
| 1873-S | 700 | Recorded mintage, but no example is known to survive | — | ||
Values are fall 2026 guide figures and move with the coin market and silver prices; certified, eye-appealing coins often sell above them. Check PCGS CoinFacts or NGC for the latest data on a specific coin.
Key Dates and Notable Issues
Major Rarities
1870-S Seated Liberty Dollar
1851 & 1852 Original Issues
1858 Proof-Only Issue
Carson City Key Dates
1870-CC
1871-CC & 1872-CC
1873-CC
Introduction to the Seated Liberty Dollar
The Seated Liberty Dollar was produced from 1840 through 1873, bridging one of the most transformative periods in American history — from the age of Manifest Destiny and westward expansion through the Civil War and into Reconstruction. Christian Gobrecht's design, which had already appeared on smaller denominations, placed Liberty seated on a rock holding a shield inscribed "LIBERTY" in her left hand and a pole topped with a Phrygian cap — the ancient symbol of freed slaves — in her right. The eagle reverse projected strength and peace through its classic spread-wing posture with arrows and olive branch. For values across every U.S. series, see our Coin Price Guide, and if you already have a coin in hand, our What's My Coin Worth guide walks you through identifying and valuing it.
The dollar denomination was significant during this era. Large silver dollars circulated alongside gold coins as the primary high-value currency of American commerce, used by banks, merchants, and the federal government for major transactions. The Seated Liberty Dollar was struck at Philadelphia, New Orleans, San Francisco, and — in its final years — Carson City, creating a rich variety of mint mark combinations that fuel collector interest to this day. The series ended with the Coinage Act of 1873, which eliminated the standard silver dollar and introduced the heavier Trade Dollar designed for Asian commerce.
Design Types and Major Varieties
The Seated Liberty Dollar series is collected by type as well as by date, and understanding the major varieties is essential to building a meaningful collection. The original 1840 design had no motto on the reverse. This No Motto type ran through 1865 with minor modifications. In 1866 the motto "IN GOD WE TRUST" was added to a ribbon above the eagle on the reverse — a change driven by the religious fervor that swept the nation during and after the Civil War. The With Motto type continued through the end of the series in 1873.
Unlike the smaller Seated Liberty denominations, the dollar never received arrows at the date or rays on the reverse, so its type structure stays simple. A type set covering No Motto and With Motto is the most common collecting approach, requiring two coins to represent the full design history. For those drawn deeper, a complete date-and-mint set is a serious long-term challenge with multiple genuinely rare coins standing in the way of completion.
The Addition of "In God We Trust" in 1866
The addition of "IN GOD WE TRUST" to U.S. coinage in 1866 was one of the most consequential design changes in American monetary history — and the Seated Liberty Dollar was among the first coins to carry it. The movement to add a religious motto to coins gained momentum during the Civil War, when the nation's proximity to mass death and moral crisis drove an intensification of public religious expression. Treasury Secretary Salmon P. Chase received numerous letters urging the acknowledgment of God on coinage, and Congress eventually acted. The motto first appeared on the 1864 two-cent piece and was extended to silver and gold coins in 1866.
For collectors, the motto's addition creates a clean and historically meaningful division within the Seated Liberty Dollar series. No Motto coins (1840–1865) represent the antebellum and early Civil War era; With Motto coins (1866–1873) represent Reconstruction and the postwar period. Both types are readily available in circulated grades from Philadelphia, though branch mint issues — especially from Carson City — are substantially scarcer regardless of motto status.
Circulation and the End of the Series
The Seated Liberty Dollar circulated heavily during the 1840s and 1850s, serving as the standard large silver coin for commercial and banking transactions. The California Gold Rush of 1849 brought a flood of gold into the economy and affected silver coin circulation patterns, but the dollar remained an important denomination. During the Civil War, coin hoarding removed virtually all silver and gold from circulation in the North — Seated Liberty Dollars, like all precious metal coins, disappeared from everyday trade and were replaced by paper currency and fractional notes.
After the war, silver coins slowly returned to circulation, but the Seated Liberty Dollar's days were numbered. The Coinage Act of 1873 — sometimes called the "Crime of '73" by silver advocates who felt betrayed by it — eliminated the standard silver dollar entirely, replacing it with the Trade Dollar at a different weight. This abrupt end gave the Seated Liberty Dollar series a clean terminal date of 1873 and created the final-year Carson City rarities that are among the most sought coins in the series today. For certified values by date, mint, and type, see the FRC Coin Price Guide. Related guides: Morgan Dollars, Trade Dollars, and U.S. Dollars overview.
Frequently Asked Questions
What years were Seated Liberty Dollars produced?
What is the difference between No Motto and With Motto Seated Liberty Dollars?
Why is the 1870-S Seated Liberty Dollar so rare?
How do I identify a genuine Seated Liberty Dollar?
What is a good entry point for collecting Seated Liberty Dollars?
Were Seated Liberty Dollars used in everyday commerce?
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