Quarter Dollar 1873 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. To the left and to the right of the date, two arrow heads indicate slightly increased weight as compared to earlier issues.

In the exergue below the figure, the date of issue: 1873.

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 above, a scroll inscribed with the motto IN GOD WE TRUST.

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 Carson City Mint or the San Francisco Mint have letters CC or S respectively, between the eagle and the denomination.

The rim is beaded.

During the year, the weight of the denomination was slightly increased from 6.22 to 6.25 grams, which is indicated by arrows on both sides of the date.

The Philadelphia Mint had already produced 212,000 circulation coins and 600 proofs of the old type at that point, and the Carson City Mint had struck 4,000 (of which only 6 are known to have survived). The rest of the mintage from both mints, and all the mintage from San Francisco, were with the new design and weight.

In the new standard (6.25 g, with arrows around the date), the output of the mints was:
- Philadelphia: 1,271,160 circulation coins and 540 proofs
- San Francisco: 156,000 circulation coins
- Carson City: 12,462 circulation coins