1859 Liberty Seated Quarter Coin Value: How Much Is It Worth?
The 1859 Liberty Seated Quarter is a pre-Civil War silver coin struck at three different mints, and guide estimates range from $46.00 to $42,846.00 depending on which mint produced your coin, whether it is a proof, and what condition it survives in. That spread is not one price for every piece.
Your coin's mint, finish and grade slot it into a specific part of that range.
Fast Way to Identify Your 1859 Liberty Seated Quarter
The quickest way to start figuring out what you have is to upload clear photos of both the front and the back of your coin. Our identifier uses those images for a preliminary identification of the mint, design type and general condition.
It is not a substitute for professional authentication or exact grading, but it gives you a solid starting point before diving deeper.
1859 Liberty Seated Quarter Value
Upload both sides of your 1859 Liberty Seated Quarter.
Front Obverse
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Back Reverse
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Which 1859 Liberty Seated Quarter Versions Are Worth Money?
- 1859-S quarters command the highest guide values, with estimates reaching $42,846.00 at MS60, reflecting the San Francisco mint's lower survival rate for this date.
- 1859-O (New Orleans) pieces carry guide estimates up to $9,341.00 at MS63, a steep premium over the Philadelphia business strike at the same grade.
- 1859 Proof quarters are listed at $1,886.00 in PR63 condition, appealing to collectors who pursue the proof branch of this series.
Step 1: Identify Your 1859 Liberty Seated Quarter Mint Mark and Version
All 1859 quarters share the Seated Liberty obverse and an eagle reverse without a motto above the eagle (the motto was added in 1866). The key difference between versions is the mintmark, which appears on the reverse below the eagle.
Philadelphia coins carry no mintmark at all. An "O" means New Orleans, and an "S" means San Francisco.
The material is 90% silver and 10% copper with a standard weight of 6.22 grams. If your coin feels unusually light or the wrong color, that is worth investigating before assuming it is genuine.
Philadelphia also produced proof editions in 1859. Proofs were made with polished dies and specially prepared planchets, giving them mirror-like fields.
A business strike that happens to be shiny from cleaning or light wear is not a proof. True proofs show squared, sharp rims and a distinctive surface quality that cleaning cannot replicate.
Step 2: Check Your 1859 Liberty Seated Quarter Grade
Start by checking Liberty's head, breast, knee and the lines in the shield on the obverse. On the reverse, look at the eagle's breast feathers and upper wing tips.
These are the high points that wear first.
A coin grading around Good (G4) will have Liberty's outline visible but most interior detail gone. At Mint State (MS60), you should see full original luster with no wear on those high points, though bag marks and contact marks are expected.
Compare your coin against the reference image and focus on how much original luster remains alongside the detail. A weak strike at the center can make an unworn coin look worn, so do not confuse flat strike with actual metal loss from circulation.
Likewise, a coin that has been cleaned may appear bright but will show hairlines under magnification, and that cleaning reduces collector value significantly.
Step 3: Check 1859 Liberty Seated Quarter Value by Mint and Version
1859 Liberty Seated Quarter
The 1859 Philadelphia business strike has no mintmark on the reverse. It is the most accessible version of this date for collectors on a budget.
USA Coin Book guide estimates place it at $46.00 in G4, $536.00 in MS60 and $1,135.00 in MS63.
Before comparing your coin to these figures, confirm original surfaces. A cleaned or damaged Philadelphia quarter, even if it retains sharp detail, will trade well below guide estimates for the same technical grade.
Strike quality varies on Philadelphia issues too, so weak central detail alone does not mean the coin circulated.
Range Grade
Price Auction Records Appraisal PO PO 1
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Coin Identifier FR FR 2
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Coin Identifier AG AG 3
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Coin Identifier G G 4
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G 6
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Coin Identifier VG VG 8
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VG 10
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Coin Identifier F F 12
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F 15
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Coin Identifier VF VF 20
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VF 25
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VF 30
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VF 35
Coin Identifier XF XF 40
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XF 45
Coin Identifier AU AU 50
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AU 53
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AU 55
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AU 58
Coin Identifier MS MS 60
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MS 61
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MS 62
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MS 63
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MS 64
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MS 65
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MS 66
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MS 67
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MS 68
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MS 69
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MS 70
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1859 Liberty Seated Quarter — PR
The 1859 Proof was struck at Philadelphia with no mintmark, just like the business strike, so the distinction is entirely about how the coin was manufactured. Proofs display deeply mirrored fields, razor-sharp device edges and squared rims that business strikes lack.
USA Coin Book lists this version at $1,886.00 in PR63. Surface haze and hairlines are the main enemies of proof grade, and even light wiping under magnification can knock a coin below PR63.
If your coin simply looks shiny but has rounded rims and normal luster rather than mirror fields, it is almost certainly a business strike, not a proof.
Coin Value Lookup is a good place to start when you want to look up guide values for other dates and denominations in this series.
Range Grade
Price Auction Records Appraisal PR PR 1
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PR 2
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PR 3
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PR 4
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PR 6
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PR 8
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PR 10
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PR 12
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PR 15
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PR 20
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PR 25
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PR 30
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PR 35
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PR 40
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PR 45
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PR 50
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PR 53
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PR 55
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PR 58
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PR 60
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PR 61
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PR 62
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PR 63
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PR 64
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PR 65
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PR 66
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PR 67
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PR 68
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PR 69
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PR 70
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1859 Liberty Seated Quarter — O
The 1859-O was produced at the New Orleans Mint, identified by a small "O" mintmark on the reverse below the eagle. Guide estimates from USA Coin Book run $69.00 in G4, $3,093.00 in MS60 and $9,341.00 in MS63.
That jump from G4 to Mint State is dramatic because surviving uncirculated examples are scarce. Most 1859-O quarters saw heavy use, so finding one with original luster intact is uncommon.
Confirm the mintmark under magnification; a worn or partially filled "O" can be mistaken for a Philadelphia coin if you are squinting at it in poor light.
Range Grade
Price Auction Records Appraisal PO PO 1
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Coin Identifier FR FR 2
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Coin Identifier AG AG 3
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Coin Identifier G G 4
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G 6
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Coin Identifier VG VG 8
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VG 10
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Coin Identifier F F 12
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F 15
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Coin Identifier VF VF 20
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VF 25
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VF 30
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VF 35
Coin Identifier XF XF 40
Coin Identifier
XF 45
Coin Identifier AU AU 50
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AU 53
Coin Identifier
AU 55
Coin Identifier
AU 58
Coin Identifier MS MS 60
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MS 61
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MS 62
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MS 63
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MS 64
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MS 65
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MS 66
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MS 67
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MS 68
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MS 69
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MS 70
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1859 Liberty Seated Quarter — S
The 1859-S carries an "S" mintmark below the eagle, identifying San Francisco production. This is the heavy hitter of the 1859 quarter family.
USA Coin Book estimates $536.00 even in G4, and the guide figure jumps to $42,846.00 at MS60.
That price structure tells you almost everything: surviving examples in any Mint State grade are genuinely rare. Most 1859-S quarters that still exist are well worn.
If you believe you have one, verify the mintmark carefully. A damaged or tooled coin with an altered mintmark is a known pitfall in this series, so professional authentication is worth the cost before assuming you are holding a five-figure coin.
Range Grade
Price Auction Records Appraisal PO PO 1
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Coin Identifier FR FR 2
Coin Identifier AG AG 3
Coin Identifier G G 4
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Coin Identifier
G 6
Coin Identifier VG VG 8
Coin Identifier
VG 10
Coin Identifier F F 12
Coin Identifier
F 15
Coin Identifier VF VF 20
Coin Identifier
VF 25
Coin Identifier
VF 30
Coin Identifier
VF 35
Coin Identifier XF XF 40
Coin Identifier
XF 45
Coin Identifier AU AU 50
Coin Identifier
AU 53
Coin Identifier
AU 55
Coin Identifier
AU 58
Coin Identifier MS MS 60
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MS 61
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MS 62
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MS 63
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MS 64
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MS 65
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MS 66
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MS 67
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MS 68
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MS 69
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MS 70
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