Quarter Dollar 1840 Seated Liberty, Coin from United States - detailed information

The obverse of the coin shows the symbolic figure of Liberty clad in a flowing dress and seated upon a rock. In her left hand, she holds a Liberty pole surmounted by a Phrygian cap (a type of cap which in Ancient Rome was worn by freed slaves). With her right hand, she supports the Union Shield, which has thirteen vertical stripes, white and red, with a blue horizontal bar on top. The colours are represented by heraldic hatching (thin lines indicating the colour - horizontal stripes for blue, vertical for red, no stripes for white). Across the shield, a diagonal banner inscribed with the word LIBERTY.

Around above, thirteen stars representing the 13 original states of the Union.

In the exergue below the figure, the date of issue: 1840.

The rim is beaded.

The main device on the reverse is an eagle, perched, with open wings, looking to left. On its breast, the Union Shield at centre, with thirteen vertical stripes, white and red, with a blue horizontal bar on top. The colours are represented by heraldic hatching (thin lines indicating the colour - horizontal stripes for blue, vertical for red, no stripes for white). From the eagle's perspective, it holds a bundle of three arrows in its left talon, and an olive branch in its right talon.

The arrows and olive branch together symbolise that the United States has "a strong desire for peace, but will always be ready for war". The eagle has its head turned towards the olive branch, to symbolise a preference for peace.

Around the outer rim, the name of the country: UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. Below the eagle, the abbreviated value and denomination QUAR. DOL. (quarter dollar).

Coins struck by the Philadelphia Mint have no mint mark. Coins struck by the New Orleans Mint have a letter O between the eagle and the denomination.

The rim is beaded.

During 1840, the design was slightly modified with additional drapery of Liberty's dress, flowing down from her left elbow.

The New Orleans Mint struck 382,200 coins with the old design (no drapery) and 43,000 with the new design (with drapery).
All coins struck by the Philadelphia Mint have the new design.