1876 Liberty Seated Quarter : A Collector’s Guide

By Charles Morgan and Hubert Walker for CoinWeek Notes …..

Across the United States, in cities and towns, Americans marked the Centennial of the Declaration of Independence with great fanfare. In Philadelphia, nearly ten million people attended the 1876 Centennial Exhibition, where President Ulysses S. Grant and Brazilian Emperor Dom Pedro II met at the Machinery Hall to start the giant Corliss Engine, which supplied steam power to hundreds of machines and nearly all of the pavilions at the fair.

Just ten years after the official end of the Civil War, the United States was not yet a world power but was emerging as an industrial powerhouse. Fairgoers got their first look at the Remington typewriter and Alexander Graham Bell’s telephone and their first taste of Heinz ketchup, Hires Root Beer, and bananas.

Congress did not act to direct the Mint to produce commemorative coins to mark the Centennial, but the Philadelphia Mint did strike several medals for the Centennial Exhibition. The Mint would expand its medallic output for the 1892 World’s Columbian Exposition and strike the nation’s first two commemorative coins: the Columbian Half Dollar and the Isabella Quarter.

The 1876 Liberty Seated Quarter in Context

Despite being regular issues, collectors view the 1876 coinage as significant. Unfortunately, for most collectors, many of the branch mint coins are out of reach, with the 1876-CC Twenty-Cent piece being famously rare, and the 1876 Liberty Head Eagle struck at the Philadelphia Mint being rare above Extra Fine (Mint State examples can sell for more than $100,000).

A more modest set comprised of Mint-State examples of the Indian Head Cent, Three-Cent Nickel, Shield Nickel, Liberty Seated Dime, Quarter, and Half Dollar, and the Trade Dollar can be built for about $8,000. The 1876 Liberty Seated Quarter will cost slightly more than a common issue in that date and mint set.

The Philadelphia Mint struck a record number of quarters in 1876, with 17,816,000. The previous high, 15,210,020, was struck in 1853, after Congress ordered a slight reduction in the coin’s weight. That total, and the 12.38 million quarters struck in 1854, were the only two mintages to exceed ten million before 1876. This record held until 1920, when the Philadelphia Mint struck 27,860,000 Standing Liberty Quarters. By the Depression, the quarter’s importance in commerce was much greater than in the 19th century.

Most 1876 Liberty Seated Quarters circulated, and collectors will have no difficulty acquiring one in grades AG to XF45. Collectors who are particular about quality will seek Mint State examples, of which plenty survive in grades up to MS64. Beyond this, the 1876 quarter becomes challenging as with each ascending grade, fewer and fewer coins are known. From a pricing perspective, however, Gem and Superb Gem are good values in the current market, and we recommend high eye appeal coins in the MS66 and above range as a long-term holding.

Market Data and Noteworthy Specimens

Top Population: PCGS MS67+ (2, 5/2025), NGC MS68 (1, 5/2025), and CAC MS67+ (0:1 stickered:graded, 5/2025).

• NGC MS68* #4247493-003: As PCGS MS66 #11647907. “The Madison Collection,” Heritage Auctions, January 9, 2008, Lot 1128 – $6,325. As NGC MS68* #4247493-003. February 4, 2016, Lot 3191 – $7,050. Crossed to NGC, where the coin upgraded by two points! Multi-colored target toning on both sides. Multiple die cracks through DOLLAR and UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.
• PCGS MS67+ CAC #80861359: As PCGS MS67 #60072980. Heritage Auctions, February 23, 2003, Lot 6640 – $5,577.50; Heritage Auctions, August 18, 2004, Lot 4030 – $5,175. As PCGS MS67+ CAC #80861359. Heritage Auctions, August 10, 2016, Lot 3755 – $5,640. Upgraded by 1/2 point; Stack’s Bowers, June 23, 2017, Lot 11112 – $7,050. Green and purple toning throughout. Patch of orange toning to the left of stars 11 and 12.
• PCGS MS67+ CAC #25684960: Stack’s Bowers, November 16, 2012, Lot 3100 – $12,925. As PCGS MS67+ CAC #31080506. “The Eugene H. Gardner Collection, Part III,” Heritage Auctions, May 12, 2015, Lot 98361 – $10,575. As PCGS MS67+ CAC #25684960. Heritage Auctions, September 17, 2015, Lot 3868 – $8,225. Gold and green toning throughout with orange and purple toning at the rims. Die crack at the top of ERICA to middle arrow. Pop 1 when offered. Plate coin on PCGS CoinFacts.
• NGC MS67* #596336-005: Heritage Auctions, March 24, 2005, Lot 5573 – $5,980;  Heritage Auctions, May 1, 2025, Lot 3623 – $4,920. Dark crescent toning on the bottom right of the obverse.
• PCGS MS67 #81634556: Heritage Auctions, November 20, 2024, Lot 3140 – $5,040. Green and rust-colored toning. Dark spot to the left of star 13.
• PCGS MS67 CAC #29222056: As NGC MS67 CAC #191274-003. Heritage Auctions, January 9, 2014, Lot 4160 – $5,287.50. As PCGS MS67 CAC #29222056. Heritage Auctions, June 5, 2014, Lot 4463 – $7,050; Heritage Auctions, January 29, 2015, Lot 3100 – $5,000. Purple and blue toning along the rims. Streaks of mulberry toning throughout.
• PCGS MS67 #08723845: Heritage Auctions, March 15, 2007, Lot 660 – $6,325. Green, gold, and purple toning throughout.

Design

Obverse:

The obverse of the 1876 Liberty Seated Quarter Dollar depicts Lady Liberty seated on a rock in classical flowing robes, head turned toward her right (viewer’s left). Her left arm is bent, her raised hand holding a liberty pole with a cap. The right arm is extended downward at her side with the hand balancing a shield, across which the word LIBERTY is displayed in a curving banner. Thirteen six-pointed stars surround the seated figure inside a denticulated rim with seven on the left side, one between Liberty’s head and the cap, and the remaining five along the right. The date 1876 is centered at the bottom between the base of the rock and the rim.

Reverse:

An eagle is prominently displayed inside a denticulated rim. The eagle’s wings are partially spread but folded downward at the joint as if the majestic bird had just landed or perhaps instead is preparing to fly off. An olive branch is in the dexter claw (viewer’s left) while the sinister claw clutches three arrows. The legend UNITED STATES OF AMERICA encircles the top two-thirds of the coin inside the rim, with the QUAR. DOL. denomination centered at the bottom. Most were minted at Philadelphia; branch New Orleans (O) and San Francisco (S) mintmarks are located below the eagle, above the denomination.

Edge:

The edge of the 1876 Liberty Seated Quarter Dollar is reeded.

Coin Specifications

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