1866 Liberty Seated Quarter Coin Value: How Much Is It Worth?
The 1866 Liberty Seated Quarter is a scarce post-Civil War issue struck in 90% silver. Guide estimates for the listed versions range from $621.00 to $1,465,669.00, depending on mint, condition, reverse design and collector finish.
That is not one price for every coin — your specific version and grade determine where it falls.
Fast Way to Identify Your 1866 Liberty Seated Quarter
Snap clear photos of both the front and back of your coin and upload them for a preliminary identification. This helps narrow down the mint, motto variety and finish so you can figure out which version you actually have.
Good lighting and a steady hand go a long way.
1866 Liberty Seated Quarter Value
Upload both sides of your 1866 Liberty Seated Quarter.
Front Obverse
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Back Reverse
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Which 1866 Liberty Seated Quarter Versions Are Worth Money?
- No mark With Motto proof: a USA Coin Book guide estimate of $1,465,669.00 at PR63 — an exceptionally rare Philadelphia proof.
- S With Motto business strike: guide estimates range from $621.00 at G4 to $16,589.00 at MS63, making higher-grade survivors worth close attention.
- No mark No Motto proof: an extraordinary later-made collector rarity with no adopted guide range — individual professional assessment is essential.
- No mark With Motto business strike: scarce Philadelphia circulation issue; confirm the motto and absence of a mintmark to distinguish it from the San Francisco coin.
Step 1: Identify Your 1866 Liberty Seated Quarter Mint Mark and Version
Start by flipping the coin over. Philadelphia strikes carry no mintmark, while the San Francisco issue has an "S" below the eagle on the reverse.
Those are the only two mints for business-strike 1866 quarters.
Next, look at the ribbon above the eagle. The motto IN GOD WE TRUST appears on most 1866 quarters — both business strikes and the standard proof.
If that motto is absent on a proof-finish coin, you may have the exceptional No Motto proof, which is an extreme collector rarity produced later, not a normal 1866 circulation coin.
The material is 90% silver and 10% copper for every version this year. The obverse shows Liberty seated with a shield, and the reverse features a heraldic eagle.
Four distinct branches exist: No mark With Motto business, S With Motto business, No mark With Motto proof, and No mark No Motto proof.
Damage, heavy cleaning or wear does not transform a common version into a rare one. Confirm the mint and finish before estimating value.
Step 2: Check Your 1866 Liberty Seated Quarter Grade
Focus on the obverse first. Liberty's head, the breast area, the knee and the details of the shield are the first places to lose definition as a coin circulates.
On the reverse, check the eagle's breast feathers and upper wing tips.
Compare your coin to the reference image at matching angles. A coin graded Good (G4) will show a clear outline of Liberty but almost no interior detail, while a Mint State piece retains full luster and sharp design elements throughout.
Be careful with strike strength. Some 1866 quarters left the press with weak centers even though they never circulated.
That flat spot on Liberty's head might be a manufacturing trait, not wear. Similarly, a bright surface does not automatically mean high grade — aggressive cleaning strips original luster and leaves hairlines that hurt the grade.
Always evaluate wear and remaining luster together before drawing conclusions.
Step 3: Check 1866 Liberty Seated Quarter Value by Mint and Version
1866 Liberty Seated Quarter — No mark — With Motto — business
This is the Philadelphia business strike with IN GOD WE TRUST on the ribbon above the eagle. No mintmark appears anywhere on the coin.
It is a genuinely scarce issue from a low-production year at the main mint.
Because no numeric guide range is adopted for this version, value depends on the individual coin's authenticated identity, condition and any error present. A professional assessment by a grading service is the safest route.
Do not confuse this piece with the No Motto proof — that is an entirely different and far rarer animal.
Ordinary-issue reference: Ordinary-issue reference only: The table below shows prices for the 1866 Liberty Seated Quarter (regular strike). It does not represent the value of the specific No mark — With Motto — business variety or its variety premium. Year, mint, metal and strike type are matched; the specific variety is not priced by this table.
Range Grade
Price Auction Records Appraisal PO PO 1
—
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
—
Coin Identifier
MS 61
—
Coin Identifier
MS 62
Coin Identifier
MS 63
Coin Identifier
MS 64
Coin Identifier
MS 65
Coin Identifier
MS 66
Coin Identifier
MS 67
—
—
—
MS 68
—
—
—
MS 69
—
—
—
MS 70
—
—
—
1866 Liberty Seated Quarter — S — With Motto — business
Look for the "S" mintmark on the reverse, below the eagle, and confirm IN GOD WE TRUST on the ribbon. This San Francisco business strike is the most commonly encountered 1866 quarter, though "common" is relative for a coin this old.
USA Coin Book guide estimates place the 1866-S at roughly $621.00 in G4, $6,838.00 in MS60, and $16,589.00 in MS63. These are retail guide figures, not guaranteed sale prices.
Condition drives huge swings here — a well-worn example and a lustrous Mint State survivor are worlds apart in the marketplace.
Coin Value Lookup is a good starting point if you want to compare this quarter against other Liberty Seated dates and denominations.
Ordinary-issue reference: Ordinary-issue reference only: The table below shows prices for the 1866-S Liberty Seated Quarter (regular strike). It does not represent the value of the specific S — With Motto — business variety or its variety premium. Year, mint, metal and strike type are matched; the specific variety is not priced by this table.
Range Grade
Price Auction Records Appraisal PO PO 1
Coin Identifier FR FR 2
Coin Identifier AG AG 3
Coin Identifier G G 4
—
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
—
Coin Identifier
MS 61
—
Coin Identifier
MS 62
Coin Identifier
MS 63
Coin Identifier
MS 64
Coin Identifier
MS 65
Coin Identifier
MS 66
Coin Identifier
MS 67
—
—
—
MS 68
—
—
—
MS 69
—
—
—
MS 70
—
—
—
1866 Liberty Seated Quarter — No mark — With Motto — proof
The Philadelphia With Motto proof is a mirror-finish collector piece struck with polished dies. Confirm the motto on the ribbon and the absence of any mintmark.
Proof surfaces show sharp, squared-off rims and deeply reflective fields when original.
The USA Coin Book guide estimate for a PR63 example sits at $1,465,669.00. That staggering figure reflects extreme rarity — this is not a coin that turns up at a local shop.
Any claimed example needs full third-party authentication and grading before a transaction. A single guide estimate at one grade does not establish a market range; it signals how few verified pieces exist.
Ordinary-issue reference: Ordinary-issue reference only: The table below shows prices for the 1866 Liberty Seated Quarter (proof). It does not represent the value of the specific No mark — With Motto — proof variety or its variety premium. Year, mint, metal and strike type are matched; the specific variety is not priced by this table.
Range Grade
Price Auction Records Appraisal PR PR 1
—
Coin Identifier
PR 2
—
Coin Identifier
PR 3
—
Coin Identifier
PR 4
—
Coin Identifier
PR 6
—
Coin Identifier
PR 8
—
Coin Identifier
PR 10
—
Coin Identifier
PR 12
—
Coin Identifier
PR 15
—
Coin Identifier
PR 20
—
Coin Identifier
PR 25
—
Coin Identifier
PR 30
—
Coin Identifier
PR 35
—
Coin Identifier
PR 40
—
Coin Identifier
PR 45
—
Coin Identifier
PR 50
—
Coin Identifier
PR 53
—
Coin Identifier
PR 55
—
Coin Identifier
PR 58
Coin Identifier
PR 60
Coin Identifier
PR 61
Coin Identifier
PR 62
Coin Identifier
PR 63
Coin Identifier
PR 64
Coin Identifier
PR 65
Coin Identifier
PR 66
Coin Identifier
PR 67
Coin Identifier
PR 68
—
—
—
PR 69
—
—
—
PR 70
—
—
—
1866 Liberty Seated Quarter — No mark — No Motto — proof
This is the No Motto proof — a Liberty Seated Quarter struck with the older reverse design that lacks IN GOD WE TRUST on the ribbon. It is an exceptional later-made collector rarity, not a coin that entered normal 1866 commerce.
The absence of the motto is the key diagnostic; everything else matches the standard Philadelphia proof.
No adopted guide range exists for this version. Its value rests entirely on individual professional assessment considering authenticated identity, condition and provenance.
If you believe you have one, third-party certification is not optional — it is the only credible path forward. Genuine examples are extraordinarily rare.
Ordinary-issue reference: Ordinary-issue reference only: The table below shows prices for the 1866 Liberty Seated Quarter (proof). It does not represent the value of the specific No mark — No Motto — proof variety or its variety premium. Year, mint, metal and strike type are matched; the specific variety is not priced by this table.
Range Grade
Price Auction Records Appraisal PR PR 1
—
Coin Identifier
PR 2
—
Coin Identifier
PR 3
—
Coin Identifier
PR 4
—
Coin Identifier
PR 6
—
Coin Identifier
PR 8
—
Coin Identifier
PR 10
—
Coin Identifier
PR 12
—
Coin Identifier
PR 15
—
Coin Identifier
PR 20
—
Coin Identifier
PR 25
—
Coin Identifier
PR 30
—
Coin Identifier
PR 35
—
Coin Identifier
PR 40
—
Coin Identifier
PR 45
—
Coin Identifier
PR 50
—
Coin Identifier
PR 53
—
Coin Identifier
PR 55
—
Coin Identifier
PR 58
Coin Identifier
PR 60
Coin Identifier
PR 61
Coin Identifier
PR 62
Coin Identifier
PR 63
Coin Identifier
PR 64
Coin Identifier
PR 65
Coin Identifier
PR 66
Coin Identifier
PR 67
Coin Identifier
PR 68
—
—
—
PR 69
—
—
—
PR 70
—
—
—
1866 Liberty Seated Quarter Error List
1. 1866 Liberty Seated Quarter — Repunched Mintmark
A repunched mintmark occurs when the mintmark punch was applied more than once in slightly different positions, leaving traces of the earlier strike near or under the final letter. On the 1866 quarter, this applies to the "S" mintmark on the reverse.
Under magnification, look for a secondary ghost image, a notch, or a partial letter overlapping the primary "S." Compare it side by side with a normal 1866-S mintmark at the same magnification — the doubling should be consistent and raised, not flat or mushy.
Machine doubling, die chips and surface corrosion around the mintmark can mimic a repunched mintmark. Those tend to show shelf-like flatness or irregular pitting rather than a clean second impression.
No specific price data is adopted for this error; value depends on visibility, the coin's overall condition and the particular variety involved.
2. 1866 Liberty Seated Quarter — Doubled Die
Doubled dies on the 1866 Liberty Seated Quarter result from a misalignment during the die-making process, producing consistent design separation visible on every coin struck from that die. Look for notching or doubling in the lettering, date digits or Liberty's features.
The key distinction: true die doubling is raised, sharp and repeatable across different examples from the same die. Machine doubling, by contrast, tends to produce flat, shelf-like distortion and is a less desirable mechanical byproduct.
Reflections from proof surfaces or post-mint damage can also fool the eye. Always compare against a confirmed normal-die example at matching magnification.
No numerical price range is adopted for this error. Value hinges on the specific doubled die variety, how dramatic the separation is, and the coin's grade.
3. 1866 Liberty Seated Quarter — Off-Center Strike
An off-center strike happens when the blank is not properly seated between the dies, shifting the entire design toward one side and leaving an unstruck crescent of bare metal on the opposite edge. On an 1866 quarter, this produces a visibly displaced Liberty or eagle.
The date needs to remain readable for the coin to be attributable — and attributable is where the collector premium lives. A moderate percentage off-center with a full date is the sweet spot.
Do not confuse an off-center strike with a clipped planchet, which shows a curved bite out of the edge, or with post-mint flattening from damage. A genuine off-center piece will have a consistent blank crescent, not irregular distortion.
No specific price data is adopted; the degree of misalignment, date visibility and overall condition all factor into what a particular example is worth.
