Values
A Seated Liberty dollar’s market depends on the date, the mint mark, motto versus no motto, and the grade. Melt is a different conversation. This page is a series reference, not a price list.
The G, VF, and MS-63 columns sit in the mintage chart below. Those figures are from the NGC US Coin Price Guide, retrieved 2026-08-23. They are a published guide, not an offer and not melt. A blank cell means that grade was not printed in this pass.
A dealer looking at the coin in hand will beat a guide number. If you are trying to sell a pile of them, start with how to sell a coin collection and the Ohio coin dealer directory.
Key Dates
PCGS CoinFacts and NGC named no traditional key-date list for this series in this pass. This page will not invent one. Do not call 1852 a key because the printed count is small. Do not call 1873-CC a key because the MS-63 cell is blank.
There is no key-date bolding on the mintage chart for that reason. A worn common Seated dollar is still worn.
Errors
These are named types and omissions. This page will not invent a count.
No motto versus motto. IN GOD WE TRUST arrives on the reverse in 1866. That is a type, not an error. Both sit on the same .900 planchet.
Blank NGC mintage years. 1851, 1855, 1866 motto, and 1870-S stay off the count column. 1858 is proof-only in this pass. This page will not invent those figures.
Gobrecht dollars. A different series. They are not a row here.
Compare the coin in hand to the NGC Coin Explorer Seated Liberty dollar page. We do not host their plates.
Varieties
Motto versus no motto is the type change on this dollar. There are no arrows on the seated dollar the way there are on the smaller silver. Gobrecht dollars are a different series.
- No motto, 1840–1865The reverse has no IN GOD WE TRUST. It is the first type, on the same planchet as the later motto coins.
- With motto, from 1866IN GOD WE TRUST is added on the reverse. NGC left some motto mintage cells blank. Those stay off the chart. The type is still real.
Names follow PCGS CoinFacts and NGC, the same publishers this site already cites. This is a name list, not a price list and not a count.
Mintage
Seated Liberty dollars were struck at Philadelphia, New Orleans, San Francisco, and Carson City. The counts below are the NGC Coin Explorer cells that printed a mintage in this pass.
| Year | Mint | Mintage | NGC ID | G | VF | MS-63 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1840 | P | 61,005 Circulation Seated dollar. Gobrecht dollars are a different series. | 16926 | $425 | $900 | $16,000 |
| 1841 | P | 173,000 Circulation Seated dollar. Gobrecht dollars are a different series. | 16927 | $475 | $875 | $8,250 |
| 1842 | P | 184,618 Circulation Seated dollar. Gobrecht dollars are a different series. | 16928 | $400 | $675 | $5,500 |
| 1843 | P | 165,100 Circulation Seated dollar. Gobrecht dollars are a different series. | 16929 | $400 | $650 | $6,250 |
| 1844 | P | 20,000 Circulation Seated dollar. Gobrecht dollars are a different series. | 16930 | $475 | $1,100 | $12,000 |
| 1845 | P | 24,500 Circulation Seated dollar. Gobrecht dollars are a different series. | 16931 | $600 | $1,150 | $30,000 |
| 1846 | O | 59,000 Circulation Seated dollar. Gobrecht dollars are a different series. | 16933 | $425 | $900 | $26,500 |
| 1846 | P | 110,600 Circulation Seated dollar. Gobrecht dollars are a different series. | 16932 | $400 | $675 | $6,500 |
| 1847 | P | 140,750 Circulation Seated dollar. Gobrecht dollars are a different series. | 16934 | $400 | $750 | $4,500 |
| 1848 | P | 15,000 Circulation Seated dollar. Gobrecht dollars are a different series. | 16935 | $550 | $1,750 | $20,000 |
| 1849 | P | 62,600 Circulation Seated dollar. Gobrecht dollars are a different series. | 16936 | $450 | $750 | $6,000 |
| 1850 | O | 40,000 Circulation Seated dollar. Gobrecht dollars are a different series. | 16938 | $600 | $1,300 | $35,000 |
| 1850 | P | 7,500 Circulation Seated dollar. Gobrecht dollars are a different series. | 16937 | $850 | $2,500 | $18,500 |
| 1852 | P | 1,100 Circulation Seated dollar. Gobrecht dollars are a different series. | 16940 | $15,000 | $27,500 | $90,000 |
| 1853 | P | 46,110 Circulation Seated dollar. Gobrecht dollars are a different series. | 16941 | $700 | $2,000 | $8,000 |
| 1854 | P | 33,140 Circulation Seated dollar. Gobrecht dollars are a different series. | 16942 | $1,200 | $5,600 | $19,000 |
| 1856 | P | 63,500 Circulation Seated dollar. Gobrecht dollars are a different series. | 16944 | $575 | $2,150 | $12,000 |
| 1857 | P | 94,000 Circulation Seated dollar. Gobrecht dollars are a different series. | 16945 | $600 | $1,600 | $7,750 |
| 1859 | O | 360,000 Circulation Seated dollar. Gobrecht dollars are a different series. | 16947 | $300 | $515 | $4,350 |
| 1859 | P | 255,700 Circulation Seated dollar. Gobrecht dollars are a different series. | 16946 | $375 | $1,000 | $5,200 |
| 1859 | S | 20,000 Circulation Seated dollar. Gobrecht dollars are a different series. | 16948 | $700 | $1,800 | $18,250 |
| 1860 | O | 515,000 Circulation Seated dollar. Gobrecht dollars are a different series. | 16950 | $335 | $675 | $4,250 |
| 1860 | P | 217,600 Circulation Seated dollar. Gobrecht dollars are a different series. | 16949 | $375 | $825 | $4,500 |
| 1861 | P | 77,500 Circulation Seated dollar. Gobrecht dollars are a different series. | 16951 | $1,100 | $3,175 | $7,500 |
| 1862 | P | 11,540 Circulation Seated dollar. Gobrecht dollars are a different series. | 16952 | $800 | $2,750 | $8,750 |
| 1863 | P | 27,200 Circulation Seated dollar. Gobrecht dollars are a different series. | 16953 | $700 | $2,175 | $7,800 |
| 1864 | P | 30,700 Circulation Seated dollar. Gobrecht dollars are a different series. | 16954 | $550 | $1,500 | $9,250 |
| 1865 | P | 46,500 Circulation Seated dollar. Gobrecht dollars are a different series. | 16955 | $925 | $2,000 | $8,500 |
| 1867 | P | 46,900 Circulation Seated dollar. Gobrecht dollars are a different series. | 16960 | $340 | $1,150 | $7,000 |
| 1868 | P | 162,100 Circulation Seated dollar. Gobrecht dollars are a different series. | 16961 | $305 | $585 | $8,000 |
| 1869 | P | 423,700 Circulation Seated dollar. Gobrecht dollars are a different series. | 16962 | $325 | $650 | $5,000 |
| 1870 | CC | 11,758 Circulation Seated dollar. Gobrecht dollars are a different series. | 16964 | $1,000 | $2,750 | $44,500 |
| 1870 | P | 415,000 Circulation Seated dollar. Gobrecht dollars are a different series. | 16963 | $280 | $500 | $4,000 |
| 1871 | CC | 1,376 Circulation Seated dollar. Gobrecht dollars are a different series. | 16967 | $2,800 | $10,000 | $225,000 |
| 1871 | P | 1,073,800 Circulation Seated dollar. Gobrecht dollars are a different series. | 16966 | $325 | $500 | $4,250 |
| 1872 | CC | 3,150 Circulation Seated dollar. Gobrecht dollars are a different series. | 16969 | $2,500 | $5,000 | $77,500 |
| 1872 | P | 1,105,500 Circulation Seated dollar. Gobrecht dollars are a different series. | 16968 | $325 | $500 | $4,000 |
| 1872 | S | 9,000 Circulation Seated dollar. Gobrecht dollars are a different series. | 16970 | $750 | $1,700 | $28,500 |
| 1873 | CC | 2,300 Circulation Seated dollar. Gobrecht dollars are a different series. | 16972 | $10,500 | $22,500 | — |
| 1873 | P | 293,000 Circulation Seated dollar. Gobrecht dollars are a different series. | 16971 | $325 | $525 | $4,650 |
Mintage: NGC Coin Explorer, retrieved 2026-08-23. A blank year in the prose is a year NGC did not print. These are Explorer manufacture figures, not a Red Book net or melt.
Collector-standard year/mint presentation follows A Guide Book of United States Coins (the Red Book). These cells are Mint manufacture figures, not a Red Book net or melt.
Values: NGC US Coin Price Guide, retrieved 2026-08-23. Guide values, not offers. Not melt. NGC IDs link to the same publisher’s price-guide listing.
Key date names: NGC Coin Explorer. Bold rows are only dates that publisher named.
NGC ID: NGC Coin Explorer listing number, retrieved 2026-08-21. A dash means this pass did not record an ID.
Years NGC left blank stay off the chart. The grade columns in the same box are NGC guide values from 2026-08-23, not an offer.
Read the date. Read the mint mark. Look at Liberty’s breast before you argue motto.
Specifications
These are mint specs, not what a dealer pays. Wear can take a little weight off. We will not invent a tolerance.
A circulating Seated dollar is 90 percent silver on a 38.1 mm planchet, 412.5 grains. Motto versus no motto does not change that planchet. Gobrecht dollars are not this page.
| Specification | Figure |
|---|---|
| Diameter | 38.1 mm |
| Thickness | 2.8 mm |
| Weight | 26.73 g (412.5 grains) |
| Composition | 90% silver, 10% copper |
| Fine silver | 0.77344 troy oz. Melt math uses this figure. It does not appraise a coin. |
| Edge | Reeded |
| Designer | Christian Gobrecht |
Thickness 2.8 mm, weight 26.73 g, and diameter 38.1 mm are the Numista no-motto Seated dollar type page (N#11472). The Numista motto type page (N#27871) prints the same planchet. Fine silver is the same 0.77344 troy oz the melt calculator uses for a Morgan / Peace dollar. Gobrecht dollars are not this page.
Grading
A Seated Liberty dollar wears first on Liberty’s breast and knee, and on the eagle’s breast and the tops of the wings. Motto versus no motto is a type, not a grade.
These are 90 percent silver circulation dollars. Gobrecht dollars are a different series.
Key Diagnostic Areas
| Area | What to examine | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Liberty’s breast and knee | The high points of the seated figure and the shield. | Those spots flatten while the stars can still look sharp. |
| The eagle | The breast and the shield on the reverse. | The breast goes slick while the wings can still look busy. |
| Date and mint mark | The date and O, S, or CC when the mint marked it. | A worn date is a worn dollar. Motto versus no motto is a type change. |
| Motto and fields | Whether IN GOD WE TRUST sits above the eagle, and bag marks in the fields. | The motto is a type, not a grade. On mint-state coins, marks decide the number. |
Circulated & Mint State
These cards describe this coin, not a second copy of the P-1 through MS-70 chart. The shared numbers live on the glossary.
See graded photos. The photos that show what VF looks like live at PCGS. We do not host their plates. NGC Coin Explorer is another look if you want a second set.
What each named grade looks like on this design.
Poor
Poor
A disk you can still call a Seated Liberty dollar if you already know the type.
- Liberty’s breast and the eagle’s breast are gone.
- The date may be a shadow. Do not scrape it.
- Shine does not make this a better coin.
AG
About Good
You might read a digit. The high points on this Seated Liberty dollar are already slick.
- Liberty’s breast and the eagle’s breast are worn to a blank patch.
- If you cannot read the date without hoping, stay here.
- A 1871-P is still this grade if it is this worn.
Good
Good
The date is readable. The design is still mostly an outline.
- Liberty’s breast and the eagle’s breast are flat. The type is an outline, not a portrait.
- The rim should be full enough to hold the legend.
- This is a worn coin, not a details story.
VG
Very Good
The date is clear. A little life returns away from the high points.
- Some leftover detail sits away from liberty’s breast and the eagle’s breast.
- The high points are still tired.
- Do not clean the date to “see it better.”
Fine
Fine
You can follow the design. The high points are outlined, not sharp.
- Liberty’s breast and the eagle’s breast are outlined and flat — no real sharpness yet.
- The rest of the coin can look busier than the grade.
- The date should be clear. The mint mark should be too, if there is one.
VF
Very Fine
The type is doing real work. Liberty’s breast and the eagle’s breast still decide.
- Leftover detail sits on liberty’s breast and the eagle’s breast. The centers are still the worn spot.
- Marks do not raise the grade.
- A regular 1871-P is still this grade if it is this worn.
EF
Extremely Fine
Most of the coin looks sharp. The high points tell on it.
- Light wear on liberty’s breast and the eagle’s breast.
- The rest of the coin can look better than the grade. Trust the high points.
- The date should be sharp.
AU
About Uncirculated
Almost no wear — and “almost” lives on the same high points.
- A trace of rub on liberty’s breast and the eagle’s breast.
- Luster may still sit in the fields. Rub on those high points is still rub.
- A bright coin with a slick high point is still slick.
Basal MS
Mint State
No wear. The fight is marks and luster, not how white the coin looks.
- No rub on liberty’s breast and the eagle’s breast.
- Marks and luster decide how this mint-state coin lives.
- A bright chewed-up coin is still chewed-up.
Choice
Choice Mint State
Still no wear. Cleaner fields than basal mint state.
- Same no-wear rule on liberty’s breast and the eagle’s breast.
- Fewer marks in the fields. Luster is more intact.
- White is not a grade.
Gem
Gem Mint State
A clean Seated Liberty dollar for this type. Still mint state, still not a story.
- No wear on liberty’s breast and the eagle’s breast.
- Marks and luster, not a romance about a date or a white field.
- A slab is an opinion in plastic. The glossary has the numbers.
Proof Seated dollars exist for part of the run. This page does not invent a PR price grid. The proof numbers live on the glossary.
Copper color designations (BN, RB, RD) do not apply here. See the Lincoln Wheat cent and the glossary.
Overview
A Seated Liberty dollar is a United States silver dollar with Liberty seated on the front and an eagle on the back, struck from 1840 through 1873. Collectors mean those circulation coins. People also call it the Liberty Seated dollar. Both names point at the same Gobrecht type.
People like them because the type is large and the motto change is easy to show someone across a table. They are also easy to ruin. A wiped dollar looks “better” to a seller and worse to everyone else.
This page is a series article, not a shop listing.
History
The Mint resumed a circulating silver dollar in 1840 on Gobrecht’s seated type. No motto runs first. IN GOD WE TRUST is added in 1866. The series ends in 1873. Gobrecht’s earlier flying-eagle patterns are a different series and stay off this table.
This page will not invent a shop list or a Gobrecht story to fill the blank NGC years.
Design
Obverse: Liberty seated with a cap on a pole and a shield, thirteen stars, “LIBERTY,” and the date. Reverse: an eagle with arrows and an olive branch, “UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,” and “ONE DOL.” From 1866 the reverse also carries “IN GOD WE TRUST.” The mint mark sits below the eagle when the coin is not from Philadelphia.
Look at Liberty’s breast, the eagle’s breast, and the date. Those spots go flat first. Motto versus no motto is a type.
People Also Ask
What years are Seated Liberty dollars?
Circulation Seated Liberty dollars were struck from 1840 through 1873. Motto versus no motto is a legend change on the same planchet. Gobrecht dollars are a different series. This chart is the NGC MS rows that printed a mintage.
How much is a Seated Liberty dollar worth?
It depends on the date, the mint mark, motto versus no motto, and the grade. The G, VF, and MS-63 columns in the mintage chart are NGC guide values from 2026-08-23, not an offer. Melt is a different conversation. A dealer looking at the actual coin will beat a guide number.
Is a Seated Liberty dollar 90 percent silver?
Yes. Circulation Seated dollars are 90 percent silver and 10 percent copper, the same Coinage Act dollar planchet family as the later Morgan. That is composition, not a value quote.
Is a Gobrecht dollar on this page?
No. Gobrecht dollars are a different series. This page is the circulating Seated dollar of 1840–1873.
Why are some dates missing?
NGC left those mintage cells blank in this pass, including 1851, 1855, 1866 motto, and 1870-S. Those stay off the chart. This page will not invent a count.
Should I clean a Seated dollar before I sell it?
No. Dip, polish, or a kitchen scrub usually cuts the price. Leave the coin as it is and let a dealer tell you what they see.
Collector Considerations
Buy the coin, not the story. A common 1871 in a high grade can cost more than a worn earlier no-motto date. That is normal.
If you inherited a box, do not scrub the date to “see it better.” Keep them in the holders they arrived in, or in cheap cardboard flips, and take the box to a person who sees Seated silver every week. The coin dealer directory starts in Ohio. This site does not invent shop names to fill a paragraph.
Raw coins are fine. So are slabs. What is not fine is a coin that has been cleaned until the fields look like glass, then offered as “original.”
If you collect by type, one honest circulated Seated dollar will teach you the breast and the eagle. For the later circulating dollar, read the Morgan dollar. For the half-dollar sister type, read the Seated Liberty half.
A Final Word
Seated Liberty dollars reward people who slow down. Read the date. Read the mint mark. Leave the polish under the sink.
When you want the later circulating dollar, the Morgan dollar is already here.