US Coins 1846 Seated Liberty Quarter Dollar without Motto
The Seated Liberty Quarter represented the face of the denomination for much of the 19th century, with pieces struck from 1838 until 1891. Six different subtypes were produced during this period, due to multiple changes to the designs and specifications that took place throughout the series. Not all of these subtypes are always considered necessary for a full type set, but technically, they are all changes or improvements to the first Liberty Seated Quarters which were produced for circulation at the Philadelphia Mint in 1838.
At the time the new design for the quarter dollar was introduced, the same basic obverse design had already been in use for the half dime and dime since the previous year. The design would later be adopted for the half dollar in 1839 and the silver dollar in 1840. The “Seated Liberty” design was an old concept that was based on Britannia, who had been featured on British coins. Artist Thomas Sully made a number of sketches, which assistant engraver Christian Gobrecht would modify to become suitable for coinage.
The original obverse design features an image of Liberty seated on a rock, holding a pole in her hand with a Phrygian cap on top of it. She is looking over her left shoulder, and her right hand rests on a union shield with the inscription LIBERTY. The date is below the seated figure, thirteen stars are around, and no further lettering is included.
The original reverse of the Seated Liberty Quarter features an American Eagle, which is somewhat based on the earlier design by John Reich. Multiple modifications to the size and visual appearance of the eagle, make the two designs easily distinguishable from on another. For the present series, the eagle faces forward, with an olive branch and bundle of arrows in its claws. The inscription UNITED STATES OF AMERICA appears above the eagle, and the denomination QUAR. DOL. appears below the eagle’s claws. Earlier quarter dollars featured no denomination or showed it as 25 C.
Circulation of the series was widespread, and some issues carried relatively large mintages. However, this does not preclude some issues from being among the foremost rarities in American coinage, making completion of a full set a monumental undertaking. More basic sets, such as those from a given period or from a certain Mint, are certainly possible to complete with patience. For type set purposes, all types are generally available, but some are scarce in high grade. Mid-grade circulated coins with original surfaces have become increasingly difficult to find, and now sell for reasonable premiums.
US Coins
1846 Seated Liberty Quarter Dollar 1876 Seated Liberty Twenty-Cent piece
1838-1866 Quarter Dollar Seated Liberty without Motto History
For over a decade, renowned banknote plate engraver and medalist Christian Gobrecht had been seeking a permanent position with the Mint. By the early 1800s, however, the nepotism permeating the Mint's employment practices was firmly entrenched. This engraver was that mint director's nephew, that official was another official's son, and so on. Professionally gifted as he was, but unrelated to any person-of-influence, Gobrecht unsuccessfully pursued the position of Chief Engraver. And ironically, he was without question, the best qualified for the job.
One of seven children of a German immigrant minister, Gobrecht was born in 1785, in Hanover, Pennsylvania. Right away he showed a talent for mechanics and inventions. After apprenticing to a clock-maker, he moved to Philadelphia in 1811, and acclaim for his work as an engraver soon came to the attention of Mint Director Robert Patterson. Gobrecht at first declined Patterson's offer in 1817 to become Chief Engraver Robert Scot's assistant, but when Scot died in 1823, Gobrecht solicited President Monroe's endorsement for the vacant position. However, Chief Coiner Adam Eckfeldt (one of many Eckfeldts connected with U.S. coinage, both before and after this era) used his influence to see to the appointment of William Kneass, an engraver of lesser abilities, but whose studio was a gathering place for prominent Philadelphians.
Finally, necessity won out over nepotism. In the summer of 1835, Kneass suffered a stroke and Gobrecht accepted Mint Director Robert Maskell Patterson's (brother-in-law of the previous director, Samuel Moore) offer of the position of Assistant Engraver. Gobrecht started work immediately on the task of improving and updating the coinage. Patterson, concerned about artistic merit on the Federal coinage and influenced by the seated goddess motifs of British designs, chose a drawing by Thomas Sully as the model for Gobrecht to bring to life on a new dollar coin.
After the dollar patterns were released in December, 1836, the Mint's ongoing penchant for using the same design on all silver coins caused Gobrecht to begin work on the other denominations. Spending most of his time on his daily duties of die making for the current mintage, he used what little spare opportunities he had over the next several years to rework the designs for the smaller coins. So it was the Fall of 1838 before the new quarter replaced the old John Reich Capped Bust design.
On the obverse, Gobrecht used a modified version of his Liberty, seated on a rock and surrounded by thirteen stars, while the reverse had the Reich-Kneass eagle from the previous issue with the denomination as QUAR. DOL. instead of the earlier 25 C. In 1840, looking for an "improvement," Patterson hired miniaturist Robert Ball Hughes to rework the design. Hughes added drapery at the elbow, and in general succeeded in fattening the figure of Liberty. Many felt the resulting rendition lacked the artistic merit of Gobrecht's original, and despite problems with flat striking, which did not exist with the 1838-39 coins, this version would remain for the rest of the series.
Called the No Motto type because it lacked the motto IN GOD WE TRUST added in 1866, over 36 million coins were minted of this variety between 1838 and 1853 and again from 1856 through 1865. It was struck at three Mints; Philadelphia (no mintmark), New Orleans (O) and San Francisco (S). The mintmark is on the reverse below the eagle. Mint records show that only 3,980 proofs of the type were made from 1859 onward, but proof examples from just about every year prior to then do exist, although they are exceedingly rare.
The first issues, referred to as the No Drapery variety, most noticeably lacked a fold of drapery at Liberty's elbow. Issued only in 1838 and 1839 at Philadelphia and for part of the year 1840 at the New Orleans Mint, today this variety is scarce in all grades and very rare in mint state. At least one proof is purported to exist, possibly from among the twenty "specimens" sent by Patterson to Treasury Secretary Levi Woodbury in September, 1838.
Hughes's modified design issued from 1840 onward is replete with rare dates. The major rarity is the 1842 Small Date. Struck only in proof for inclusion in presentation sets for dignitaries, supposedly only six specimens exist. Other very rare dates include 1842-O Small Date, 1849-O and 1852-O. In mint state, almost all the dates prior to 1853 are extremely difficult to find. There are two reasons for this: first, the weak strikes of this era made many coins look more worn than they actually were; and second, the melting that took place around 1853 due to the increasing value of silver forever destroyed vast quantities of coins. Surprisingly, the low mintage 1853 Without Arrows, which is very scarce in all grades due to meltings, exists in Superb Gem Uncirculated to the tune of at least several pieces.
Among the later dates, the toughest to find in mint state are the San Francisco coins from 1856-1865 and, to a lesser extent, the Philadelphia coins of 1863-1865. When pursuing gem specimens, type collectors will most often encounter the Philadelphia issues of 1857, 1858, 1861 or 1862. Although most collectors approach the Seated Liberty quarter series from a type perspective and desire to acquire only one of each variety, there are still some who find the challenge of completing a date and mintmark collection compelling.
When grading this design, the high points on the obverse are Liberty's knee, hair and breast. On the reverse, the areas to first show wear are the eagle's neck, claws and the tops of the wings. Care must be taken to differentiate between weak striking and wear, as many coins, particularly up thru 1858, are very weakly struck.
By 1853, due to the increase in silver prices relative to gold, the silver in the No Motto quarters was worth more than face value. This led to their rapid disappearance from the channels of commerce. Accordingly, Mint Director George Eckert persuaded Congress to reduce the weight of silver coins to preclude melting. This set the stage for the next type of Seated Liberty quarter, the Arrows and Rays variety. The No Motto variety would not return until 1856.
1838-1891 Seated Liberty Quarter Coin Specifications
Production of the Seated Liberty Quarters occurred at the Philadelphia, New Orleans, San Francisco and Carson City Mints between 1838 and 1891. The largest number of issues, not surprisingly, came from the Philadelphia Mint. The New Orleans Mint struck quarter dollars from 1839 to 1860, and again in 1891. San Francisco issues were first struck in 1855, a year after the branch Mint opened. Carson City quarter dollars were only struck from 1870 to 1878, with several scarce, low mintage issues included.
Philadelphia issues do not carry a mint mark. For the other issues, the mint mark is located on the reverse, below the eagle. The mint mark can be encountered in various sizes and placements depending on the issue, and often depending on the specific die that was used for striking.
When first produced in 1838, the Seated Liberty Quarter had a composition of 90% silver and 10% copper, which would remain the same until the end of the series. However, the weight was changed on various occasions. The first issues weighed 103 grains (6.68 grams), but this was lowered in 1853 to 96 grains (6.22 grams). In 1873 the denomination saw a small increase in weight, this time to 96.5 grains (6.25 grams). All issues have a diameter of 24.3 mm and a reeded edge.
Because the large number of issues, giving a general indication striking quality and visual appearance is difficult. Generally speaking, the Philadelphia and San Francisco issues usually have better visual appearance than the Carson City and New Orleans issues, but this is not always the case. Some issues from the New Orleans Mint are known for being weakly struck, while others have the same striking quality as coins from other branch Mints. Another problem with many issues is the large circulation and subsequent mishandling from early collectors that many issues experienced. This makes high-quality, original coins with good eye-appeal in the distinct minority, regardless of issue or Mint.
1838-1891 Seated Liberty Quarter Mintages
Seated Liberty Quarters were issued for a relatively lengthy period of 53 years, representing the longest design duration for the denomination up to that point. Mintage figures varied widely during the course of the series, with some scarce issues carrying original mintages in the low thousands and other common issues exceeding 10 million.
Coins were struck at Philadelphia, New Orleans, San Francisco, and Carson City. The design underwent numerous changes which results in six different subtypes within the series. The different mints and subtypes provide collectors with the opportunity to collect the series for a defined range, rather than in its entirety.
Mintages aside, finding original examples can be difficult for virtually every issue. Circulated Seated Liberty Quarters with original surfaces and above average eye appeal can trade for large premiums over average circulated coins or problem coins of the same date and grade. For some issues of the series, no uncirculated coins are known, and the finest pieces are represented by only a small number of AU pieces.
1846 - 510,000
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Bowers, Q. David, United States Dimes, Quarters and Half Dollars, Bowers and Merena Galleries, Wolfeboro, NH, 1986.
Breen, Walter, Walter Breen's Complete Encyclopedia of U.S. and Colonial Coins, F.C.I./Doubleday, New York, 1988.
Briggs, Larry, The Comprehensive Encyclopedia of United States Liberty Seated Quarters, Larry Briggs Rare Coins, Lima, OH, 1991.
Taxay, Don, The U.S. Mint and Coinage, Arco Publishing Co., New York, 1966.
The Gobrecht Journal, Collective Volume Number One, Liberty Seated Collectors Club, Kettering, OH, 1980.