1864 Liberty Seated Quarter Coin Value: How Much Is It Worth?
The 1864 Liberty Seated Quarter is a Civil War-era silver coin with a small mintage that keeps collectors interested. Guide estimates from USA Coin Book range from $194.00 to $24,611.00 across the listed versions, but that spread depends entirely on which mint struck your coin, whether it is a proof, and what condition it survives in.
A worn Philadelphia piece and a mint-state San Francisco example are worlds apart in value.
Fast Way to Identify Your 1864 Liberty Seated Quarter
The quickest way to start figuring out what you have is to upload clear photos of the front and back of your coin. Our identifier can offer a preliminary identification based on those images, helping you narrow down the mint, version and general condition.
It will not authenticate, certify or assign an exact grade, but it gives you a solid starting point before deeper research.
1864 Liberty Seated Quarter Value
Upload both sides of your 1864 Liberty Seated Quarter.
Front Obverse
Upload photo
Back Reverse
Upload photo
Which 1864 Liberty Seated Quarter Versions Are Worth Money?
- 1864-S: USA Coin Book guide estimates reach $24,611.00 at MS63 — the San Francisco mint produced far fewer quarters this year, making any survivor desirable.
- 1864 Philadelphia business strike: guide estimates reach $3,093.00 at MS63 — surviving uncirculated examples from a low-mintage wartime year are scarce.
- 1864 PR (Proof): guide estimates reach $1,453.00 at PR63 — proof quarters were made in small numbers for collectors, and genuine examples require careful verification of proof surfaces versus simply shiny business strikes.
Step 1: Identify Your 1864 Liberty Seated Quarter Mint Mark and Version
Three versions exist for 1864: the Philadelphia business strike (1864), the Philadelphia proof (1864 PR), and the San Francisco issue (1864-S). Philadelphia coins carry no mintmark at all.
San Francisco coins have a small "S" on the reverse, located below the eagle.
All three are struck in 90% silver and 10% copper, weighing 6.22 grams. The design shows the Seated Liberty on the obverse and an eagle on the reverse.
This date falls before the motto "In God We Trust" was added in 1866, so the reverse eagle has no motto banner above it.
To identify your coin, flip it over and look beneath the eagle's tail feathers for a mintmark. No letter means Philadelphia.
An "S" means San Francisco. You should not find an "O" or "CC" on this date.
If you do, something else is going on and the coin warrants closer inspection.
Step 2: Check Your 1864 Liberty Seated Quarter Grade
Start by checking Liberty's head, the area across her breast, the knee, and the shield on her lap. These are the first spots to show wear.
On the reverse, look at the eagle's breast feathers and the tops of the wings.
A coin grading around Good (G4) will have a flat Liberty outline with very little interior detail, while a Mint State (MS60) piece retains full design elements and some original luster. Compare your coin against the reference image to gauge where it falls.
Don't confuse a weak strike with heavy wear. Some 1864 quarters left the press without fully formed details, especially in the centers, but the surrounding luster will still be present on an unworn coin.
Cleaning is another trap: a bright, shiny surface with tiny parallel scratches is not the same as original mint luster, and cleaned coins typically lose significant value.
Step 3: Check 1864 Liberty Seated Quarter Value by Mint and Version
1864 Liberty Seated Quarter
The 1864 Philadelphia business strike has no mintmark. It was produced during the Civil War when silver coins were being hoarded, resulting in a low mintage.
In well-worn Good-4 condition, USA Coin Book estimates this coin at $194.00. Jump to Mint State 60 and the guide rises to $1,531.00, reaching $3,093.00 at MS63.
Original surfaces matter here. Look for natural toning and undisturbed luster rather than a bright, wiped appearance.
Cleaning or damage will pull the value well below these guide figures, so check for hairlines under good light before assuming your coin falls into one of these grades.
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
Coin Identifier
MS 68
Coin Identifier
MS 69
—
—
—
MS 70
—
—
—
1864 Liberty Seated Quarter — PR
The 1864 proof quarter was struck at Philadelphia with specially prepared dies and polished planchets, producing mirror-like fields. There is no mintmark.
USA Coin Book estimates $1,453.00 at PR63.
Proof is a method of manufacture, not a grade above Mint State. A genuine proof will show deeply reflective surfaces and sharp, squared-off rims that differ from a regular business strike.
Surface haze and hairlines from handling over 160 years are common and affect the assigned proof grade. Be cautious: a shiny circulated coin is not a proof.
If the fields lack that distinctive liquid-mirror quality, you likely have a cleaned business strike instead.
Coin Value Lookup is a useful starting point if you want to look up other Liberty Seated quarter dates or different denominations from the same era.
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
Coin Identifier
PR 69
—
—
—
PR 70
—
—
—
1864 Liberty Seated Quarter — S
The 1864-S carries a small "S" mintmark on the reverse below the eagle. This is the key coin of the three 1864 versions and the one that commands the strongest prices across all grades.
USA Coin Book estimates $1,252.00 even in Good-4 condition, climbing to $16,589.00 at MS60 and $24,611.00 at MS63.
San Francisco quarters from the Civil War period survived in very low numbers because silver coins circulated heavily on the West Coast while eastern holders hoarded them. Finding one in any grade is uncommon.
Before celebrating, confirm the mintmark is genuine and not tooled onto the coin — a real "S" will sit naturally within the surface, with consistent metal texture around it. Original surfaces and honest wear will keep the coin in strong demand among series collectors.
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
—
—
—
MS 67
—
—
—
MS 68
—
—
—
MS 69
—
—
—
MS 70
—
—
—
