1889 Liberty Seated Quarter Coin Value: How Much Is It Worth?
The 1889 Liberty Seated Quarter is a late-date entry in a series that ended just two years later. Guide estimates from USA Coin Book range from about $258.00 in well-worn Good-4 condition up to $1,136.00 for an uncirculated business strike at MS63, while proof examples carry their own separate valuation.
Which figure applies to your coin depends on whether it is a regular strike or a proof, and what condition it is actually in.
Fast Way to Identify Your 1889 Liberty Seated Quarter
The quickest way to start figuring out what you have is to upload clear photos of both the front and back of your coin. Our identifier can offer a preliminary read on the version, mint and general condition, which helps you zero in on the right part of the guide.
Snap both sides in even lighting and avoid glare.
1889 Liberty Seated Quarter Value
Upload both sides of your 1889 Liberty Seated Quarter.
Front Obverse
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Back Reverse
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Which 1889 Liberty Seated Quarter Versions Are Worth Money?
- The 1889 business strike lists at $1,136.00 in MS63 per USA Coin Book, making higher-grade survivors the top target for this date.
- The 1889 proof carries a guide estimate of $938.00 at PR63; confirm proof manufacture before applying this value.
- Check whether your coin has original surfaces; cleaning or damage sharply reduces what any version is worth.
Step 1: Identify Your 1889 Liberty Seated Quarter Mint Mark and Version
Every 1889 quarter was struck at the Philadelphia Mint, so there is no mintmark on these coins. If you see an O, S, or CC on the reverse beneath the eagle, you have a different year or a different coin entirely.
The design shows a seated figure of Liberty on the obverse and an eagle on the reverse with the motto "In God We Trust" on a banner above. The coin is 90% silver and 10% copper, weighing 6.25 grams.
Two versions exist for this date: the regular business strike and the proof. These look similar at first glance, but proof coins were made with a special manufacturing process that produces sharper rims, mirrored fields, and squared-off edges.
A shiny circulated coin is not a proof. If the fields look glassy and reflective rather than just lustrous, and the rims are razor-sharp, you may have a proof, but professional confirmation is always smart before assuming.
Step 2: Check Your 1889 Liberty Seated Quarter Grade
Focus on four spots when judging wear: Liberty's head and breast on the obverse, her knee, and the shield she holds. On the reverse, check the eagle's breast feathers and the tops of its wings.
These high points lose detail first as a coin circulates.
A coin grading Good-4 will show a clear outline of Liberty but most interior detail will be flat. Move up to Mint State and you should see full, undisturbed luster with no wear on those high points at all.
Don't confuse a weak strike with wear. Some business strikes came off the press with soft detail in the centers even though they never entered circulation.
Compare your coin to the reference image of the same type at similar grades to calibrate your eye.
Cleaning is the other trap. A coin that has been polished or dipped will show unnatural brightness, hairlines under magnification, or a washed-out look in the fields.
Cleaned coins trade for substantially less than original-surface examples, regardless of how little actual wear they show.
Step 3: Check 1889 Liberty Seated Quarter Value by Mint and Version
1889 Liberty Seated Quarter
The 1889 business-strike quarter was produced at Philadelphia with no mintmark. In heavily worn Good-4 condition, USA Coin Book estimates about $258.00.
Jump to MS60 and the guide moves to $868.00, then $1,136.00 at MS63. These are guide-level retail estimates, not guaranteed sale prices.
Look for original silver luster that fades naturally toward the rims. Strike quality varies, so a soft breast or knee on Liberty does not automatically mean wear.
Confirm there are no hairlines from cleaning and no rim damage before comparing to higher-grade benchmarks.
Coin Value Lookup is a good starting point if you want to look up guides for other dates or denominations in this series.
Range Grade
Price Auction Records Appraisal PO PO 1
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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
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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1889 Liberty Seated Quarter — PR
The 1889 proof quarter was also struck at Philadelphia with no mintmark, but it was manufactured differently from a regular coin. Proof surfaces show deeply mirrored fields and sharply detailed devices with precise, squared-off rims.
The coin should weigh the same 6.25 grams and carry the same With Motto reverse design.
USA Coin Book lists PR63 examples at about $938.00. Surface haze, hairlines from mishandling, and any cleaning will pull the value down from that anchor.
A shiny business strike is not a proof, full stop. If the rims are rounded and the fields show cartwheel luster rather than mirror-like reflectivity, you have a regular strike, not a proof.
Professional grading services are the standard way to confirm proof status for coins 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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