By Charles Morgan and Hubert Walker for CoinWeek Notes …..
The United States Mint produced Liberty Seated Dollars at just two of its three operational facilities in 1871. The Philadelphia Mint struck 1,074,760 silver dollars in 1871, while the Carson City Mint struck only 1,376. In terms of Mint State survivors, the 1871 Philadelphia strike is a close third behind the 1859-O and 1860-O as the series’ most abundant.
Gems are scarce, with most 1871 Liberty Seated Dollars grading in the MS62 to MS64 range. As with many issues in the series, very few coins truly pop in terms of eye appeal.
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Production of 1871 Liberty Seated Dollars |
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| January 12, 1871 | 8,000 struck | January 13 | 15,000 |
| January 17 | 15,000 | January 23 | 16,000 |
| January 30 | 16,000 | February 3 | 10,800 |
| February 10 | 15,000 | February 21 | 12,000 |
| March 1 | 14,000 | March 11 | 12,000 |
| March 14 | 12,000 | March 15 | 500 |
| March 16 | 9,000 | March 21 | 16,000 |
| March 28 | 14,000 | March 29 | 10,400 |
| April 12 | 10,000 | April 13 | 7,700 |
| April 17 | 10,000 | April 18 | 10,000 |
| April 19 | 8,800 | April 26 | 10,000 |
| April 28 | 23,500 | May 5 | 8,900 |
| May 18 | 12,000 | May 20 | 12,000 |
| May 27 | 10,000 | June 2 | 10,000 |
| June 5 | 10,000 | June 10 | 13,000 |
| June 15 | 10,000 | June 17 | 12,400 |
| June 30 | 12,000 | July 5 | 9,000 |
| July 8 | 24,000 | July 10 | 12,000 |
| July 13 | 12,000 | July 15 | 6,000 |
| July 20 | 20,000 | July 21 | 22,000 |
| August 4 | 17,000 | August 9 | 20,000 |
| August 11 | 26,000 | August 18 | 17,700 |
| August 24 | 22,000 | September 22 | 12,000 |
| September 25 | 12,000 | September 27 | 12,000 |
| September 28 | 12,000 | October 2 | 12,000 |
| October 5 | 12,000 | October 6 | 12,000 |
| October 9 | 12,000 | October 13 | 12,000 |
| October 17 | 12,000 | October 19 | 20,600 |
| October 30 | 15,000 | November 1 | 8,000 |
| November ? | 7,600 | November 9 | 12,000 |
| November 10 | 12,000 | November 13 | 12,000 |
| November 14 | 9,000 | November 16 | 15,000 |
| November 17 | 19,300 | November 21 | 12,000 |
| November 22 | 12,000 | November 23 | 12,000 |
| November 24 | 13,800 | November 27 | 4,000 |
| December 2 | 12,000 | December 4 | 10,500 |
| December 8 | 8,000 | December 11 | 13,000 |
| December 13 | 20,400 | December 16 | 7,000 |
| December 20 | 6,000 | December 22 | 5,000 |
| December 26 | 24,000 | December 29 | 13,300 |
| Unspecified Date | 960 Proofs | Total Mintage: 1,074,760 coins | |
Production of the 1871 Liberty Seated Dollar occurred consistently throughout the year. Most were exported for use as trade coins.
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1871 Liberty Seated Dollar Market Data and Noteworthy Specimens
Top Population: PCGS MS66 (1, 11/2024), NGC MS66 (1, 11/2024), and CAC MS66 (1:0 stickered:graded, 11/2024).
- PCGS MS65 CAC #38379608: Legend Rare Coin Auctions, May 14, 2020, Lot 226 – $31,725.
- PCGS MS65 #84285353: Stack’s Bowers, August 3, 2017, Lot 2126 – $47,000. Dark toning along the periphery on the obverse and reverse.
- PCGS MS65 CAC #02033021: Pinnacle Rarities to Eugene H. Gardner, by sale, August 2010; “The Eugene H. Gardner Collection,” Heritage Auctions, June 23, 2014, Lot 30605 – $57,281.25; Heritage Auctions, January 7, 2015, Lot 4174 – $50,525; Stack’s Bowers, October 2015, Lot 48 – $48,175.
- NGC MS65 #549962-013: Heritage Auctions, February 24, 2005, Lot 7389 – $16,100; “The Jack Lee Collection, III,” Heritage Auctions, November 3, 2005, Lot 2227 – $16,100. Splotchy and streaky brown toning.
- PCGS MS64+ CAC #25636722: “The James DeAngelis Collection,” Stack’s Bowers, March 28, 2024, Lot 7230 – View. Terminal toning on the right field of the obverse.
- PCGS MS64+ CAC #34137572: Heritage Auctions, May 6, 2022, Lot 4247 – $9,600. OC-7. Dark toning with reddish interiors and blue along the periphery.
- PCGS MS64+ #82239827: Del Loy Hansen; “The Schwenk Family Collection,” Heritage Auctions, May 6, 2022, Lot 4246 – $7,200. D.L. Hansen novelty insert. OC-13. Peach toning around stars 8-13. Diagonal spot to the left of Liberty’s right hand. Light die crack through STATES. Long cut between wing and eagle’s beak.
- As PCGS MS64+ CAC #25505619: As PCGS MS64 CAC #06626149: Heritage Auctions, January 5, 2011, Lot 3993 – $6,900. As PCGS MS64+ CAC #25505619. Heritage Auctions, November 29, 2012, Lot 3849 – $10,575. Apricot-colored toning. Spot on right forearm. Streaky toning around star 12.
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Design
Obverse:
The obverse features Liberty seated on a rock in classical flowing robes, her head turned to the right (viewer’s left). Liberty’s left arm is bent, her raised hand holding a Liberty pole with a cap. The right arm is extended downward at her side, with the hand balancing a shield with the word LIBERTY displayed in a curving banner. Thirteen six-pointed stars surround the seated figure inside a denticulated rim: seven on the left side, one between Liberty’s head and the cap, and the remaining five along the right. The date 1871 is at the bottom between the base of the rock and the rim.
Reverse:
An eagle is displayed prominently inside a denticulated rim. The eagle’s wings are partly spread but folded downward at the joint as if the majestic bird had just landed or perhaps instead is preparing to fly away. An olive branch is in the dexter claw (viewer’s left); the sinister claw clutches three arrows. Above the eagle is a wavy ribbon with the motto IN GOD WE TRUST, which was added to the coin in 1866. The legend UNITED STATES OF AMERICA encircles the top two-thirds of the coin inside the rim, with the ONE DOL. denomination centered at the bottom.
Edge:
The edge of the 1871 Liberty Seated Dollar is reeded.
1871 Liberty Seated Dollar Coin Specifications
| Country: | United States of America |
| Year of Issue: | 1871 |
| Denomination: | One Dollar (USD) |
| Mintmark: | None (Philadelphia) |
| Mintage: | 1,074,760 |
| Alloy: | .900 Silver, .100 Copper |
| Weight: | 26.73 g |
| Diameter: | 38.10 mm |
| Edge: | Reeded |
| OBV Designer: | Christian Gobrecht, from sketches by Titian Peale/Thomas Sully |
| REV Designer: | Christian Gobrecht |
| Quality: | Business Strike |
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References
Julian, R.W. “The Silver Dollar, 1853-1873”, Numismatic Scrapbook Magazine. August 1964. 2124-2128. Data compiled and analyzed from the National Archives.
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