By Charles Morgan and Hubert Walker for CoinWeek Notes …..
In 1859, silver mines in Arizona were fully online, with metal shipped west and east. Also, it was in this year that the Comstock Lode became known, sparking a rush of miners to the Utah Territory.
The Philadelphia Mint did not strike silver dollar coins in 1858 but resumed production in 1859 with a robust output of 256,500. Most, if not all, of this mintage was earmarked for export and paid out to merchants in India and China. It’s also possible that some portion of this mintage was melted down in 1861, as the Mint repurposed tens of thousands of silver dollars into subsidiary silver coins.
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Production of 1859 Liberty Seated Dollars |
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| April 18 | 33,000 | April 19 | 22,000 |
| April 28 | 2,500 | June 27 | 16,000 |
| June 30 | 8,000 | October 6 | 22,000 |
| October 13 | 18,000 | October 18 | 17,000 |
| October 24 | 24,000 | October 25 | 16,000 |
| November 21 | 29,000 | November 23 | 22,000 |
| December 10 | 2,000 | ||
| Total Mintage: 256,500 | |||
Business strike production for the 1859 Liberty Seated Dollar commenced on April 18 and concluded on December 10. The mintage was paid out in 13 deliveries, most of which occurred in October. The Mint’s die records indicate that three obverse and five reverse dies were prepared, but not all were used.
In addition to the 256,500 business strike 1859 Liberty Seated Dollars, the Philadelphia Mint also produced 800 Proof strikings for collectors. The attrition rate for the business strikes is considerably higher than that of the Proofs and while Proofs graded 65 and above number over 50, Mint State coins at 65 or better number only two or three.
In About Uncirculated, examples sell for $2,000 and up.
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1859 Liberty Seated Dollar Market Data and Noteworthy Specimens
Top Population: PCGS MS66+ (1, 11/2024), NGC MS64 (15, 11/2024), and CAC MS66 (2:0 stickered:graded, 11/2024).
- PCGS MS66+ #37919035: PCGS user SeatedCrazy. Imaged on PCGS CoinFacts. Beautiful green, brown, and blue toning.
- PCGS MS65 #21572847: As PCGS MS64. Heritage Auctions, March 21, 2003, Lot 6144 – $10,925. As PCGS MS65 #21572847. Dell Loy Hansen. Imaged on PCGS CoinFacts. Upgraded by one point. Irregularly shaped toning splotch on the right side of the obverse. Lustrous.
- PCGS MS64+ #25596541: As PCGS MS64 #21572846. “The Jack Lee Collection, Part III,” Heritage Auctions, November 3, 2005, Lot 2218 – $9,200. “The Malibu Collection,” Bowers and Merena, November 2010, Lot 2267. As PCGS MS64+ #25596541. “The M&S Petty Collection,” Legend Rare Coin Auctions, July 28, 2022, Lot 247 – $20,562.50. Upgraded by one-half point. Sterling-Legend on insert. Darkly toned with orange centers with antiqued slate-blue-green toning along the periphery.
- PCGS MS64 #07304996: Del Loy Hansen; Imaged on PCGS CoinFacts. Cobalt toning along the left obverse periphery. Peach toning throughout.
- PCGS MS64 CAC #82608329: “The Greenwich Collection,” Bowers and Merena, January 1991, Lot 1831; Legend Numismatics, February 2007; As PCGS MS64 CAC #05975140. Heritage Auctions, June 23, 2014, Lot 30599 – $15,275. As PCGS MS64 CAC #82608329. Imaged on PCGS CoinFacts. Peach toning throughout. Darker at the base.
- PCGS MS64 CAC #27400194: As NGC MS64 #2018790-022. “The Fenn Family Collection,” Heritage Auctions, February 7, 2013, Lot 3863 – $8,812.50. As PCGS MS64 CAC #27400194. Heritage Auctions, January 9, 2014, Lot 4905 – $11,162.50. Darkly toned in gold, orange, and purple. Purple toning around date. Dark smudge to the left of stars 12 and 13.
- NGC MS64 CAC #3166287-007: Heritage Auctions, January 9, 2014, Lot 4904 – $9,400; Heritage Auctions, January 8, 2015, Lot 5333 – $8,812.50; “The Mesquite Collection,” Heritage Auctions, April 26, 2017, Lot 3439 – $7,637.50. OC-2. Brilliant. Head on upper stars flatly struck.
- NGC MS64 CAC #451408-005: Heritage Auctions, October 23, 2008, Lot 1108 – $12,650. Rim toning.
- PCGS MS64 #5487164: “The Morris Silverman Collection,” Heritage Auctions, April 25, 2002, Lot 4049 – $12,650.
- NGC MS64: “The Indiana Collection,” Heritage Auctions, May 4, 2000, Lot 5013 – $8,912.50. Gold toning throughout.
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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 1859 is at the bottom between the base of the rock and the rim.
Reverse:
On the 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. The legend UNITED STATES OF AMERICA encircles the top two-thirds of the coin inside the rim, with the denomination ONE DOL. centered at the bottom.
Edge:
The edge of the 1859 Liberty Seated Dollar is reeded.
1859 Liberty Seated Dollar Coin Specifications
| Country: | United States of America |
| Year of Issue: | 1859 |
| Denomination: | One Dollar (USD) |
| Mintmark: | None (Philadelphia) |
| Mintage: | 256,500 |
| 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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