1869 Liberty Seated Quarter Coin Value: How Much Is It Worth?
The 1869 Liberty Seated Quarter is a low-mintage post-Civil War issue struck in 90% silver. Guide estimates from USA Coin Book range from $226.00 to $8,592.00 depending on the specific mint, finish and grade.
Not every 1869 quarter falls at the top of that span. Your coin's actual position depends on whether it came from Philadelphia or San Francisco, whether it is a proof, and how much honest wear it carries.
Fast Way to Identify Your 1869 Liberty Seated Quarter
Want a quick read on what you have? Upload clear photos of both the front and back of your 1869 quarter, and our identifier can give you a preliminary take on the mint, version and approximate condition.
Good lighting and a steady hand help more than an expensive camera. Two sharp images beat ten blurry ones every time.
1869 Liberty Seated Quarter Value
Upload both sides of your 1869 Liberty Seated Quarter.
Front Obverse
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Back Reverse
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Which 1869 Liberty Seated Quarter Versions Are Worth Money?
- 1869-S in MS63 carries a USA Coin Book guide estimate of $8,592.00, reflecting the difficulty of finding a San Francisco strike in upper mint-state grades.
- 1869 Philadelphia business strike lists at $5,631.00 in MS63, a scarce coin in top condition from a low-mintage year.
- 1869 Proof at PR63 is estimated at $1,072.00 per the same guide, representing the limited proof production of the era.
- Always confirm the mint and finish first. Damage, heavy wear or a cleaned surface does not turn a common-condition coin into a rare version.
Step 1: Identify Your 1869 Liberty Seated Quarter Mint Mark and Version
Three distinct versions exist for 1869: the Philadelphia business strike (no mintmark), the Philadelphia proof, and the San Francisco issue. All share the Seated Liberty obverse with the "WITH MOTTO" eagle reverse, and all are struck in 90% silver with a 10% copper alloy at a standard weight of 6.22 grams.
Flip the coin over and look below the eagle, between the tail feathers and the denomination. A small "S" means San Francisco.
No letter at all means Philadelphia. You will not find an O or CC mintmark on a genuine 1869 quarter.
Separating a proof from a business strike takes more than a shiny surface. Proofs were deliberately struck on polished planchets with polished dies, producing mirrored fields and sharp rims.
A cleaned or lightly circulated business strike can look reflective, but the surface texture under magnification is different. If you are unsure, a third-party grading service is the safest route.
Step 2: Check Your 1869 Liberty Seated Quarter Grade
Start with Liberty herself. On a well-worn coin (around Good-4), only her outline and a trace of the shield remain visible.
As grade improves, look for the clasp at her neck, individual lines in the shield, and the separation of her knee from the drapery folds.
On the reverse, the eagle's breast feathers and the tops of its wings show wear first. Compare your coin to the reference image of the same type at several grade levels.
One important caveat: Seated quarters from this era sometimes came off the press with weak centers even when brand new. A soft strike on Liberty's head or the eagle's breast does not automatically mean the coin circulated.
Look at the high points and the luster in the protected areas together before you decide on a grade.
Cleaned coins are common in this series. A bright, unnaturally white surface with fine hairlines visible under a loupe suggests someone scrubbed it at some point.
That matters because cleaning reduces collector value regardless of how little actual wear the coin shows.
Step 3: Check 1869 Liberty Seated Quarter Value by Mint and Version
1869 Liberty Seated Quarter
The 1869 Philadelphia business strike has no mintmark. Look below the eagle on the reverse and confirm the space is empty.
This is a 90% silver coin weighing 6.22 grams with the "WITH MOTTO" reverse design.
USA Coin Book estimates place this version at $621.00 in Good-4, $2,776.00 in MS60, and $5,631.00 in MS63. The jump from a worn survivor to a mint-state example is steep because so few escaped circulation intact.
Original surfaces matter here. If your coin has been cleaned or shows rim damage, the guide figures will overshoot what a buyer would actually pay.
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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G 6
Coin Identifier VG VG 8
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VG 10
Coin Identifier F F 12
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F 15
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
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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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1869 Liberty Seated Quarter — PR
The 1869 Proof was struck at Philadelphia with no mintmark, just like the business strike, so you cannot tell them apart by mintmark alone. Proofs were made in very small numbers for collectors, using polished dies and planchets that produce deeply mirrored fields.
Look for squared-off rims and a glass-like reflective surface in the flat areas around Liberty and the eagle. Under magnification, a proof's field should be smooth and mirror-bright rather than showing the slightly grainy cartwheel luster of a regular strike.
Hairlines from improper storage or cleaning reduce the grade and desirability.
Coin Value Lookup is a useful starting point if you want to compare this coin against other Liberty Seated Quarter dates and check what different years and mints are worth.
USA Coin Book lists this proof at $1,072.00 in PR63. Surface haze and hairlines are the most common condition issues for surviving proofs of this era.
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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1869 Liberty Seated Quarter — S
The 1869-S was struck at the San Francisco Mint and carries a small "S" mintmark on the reverse beneath the eagle. Same 90% silver composition and 6.22-gram weight as its Philadelphia sibling.
This is the version with the highest guide figure in top grades. USA Coin Book estimates $226.00 in Good-4, $5,631.00 in MS60, and $8,592.00 in MS63.
That enormous spread between worn and mint-state tells the story: plenty survived in lower grades, but finding one with full original luster and minimal contact marks is genuinely hard. Confirm your mintmark under magnification, check for original surfaces, and compare wear carefully before assuming a high grade.
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
Coin Identifier G G 4
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G 6
Coin Identifier VG VG 8
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VG 10
Coin Identifier F F 12
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F 15
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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