1871-S Seated Liberty Quarter
The 1871-S Seated Liberty quarter is the first quarter dollar from that decade available to collectors, but that may not have been the original plan. Dies for the 1870-S were sent to San Francisco Mint from Philadelphia, yet no examples are known today.
There are reports suggesting at least one 1870-S quarter was struck and sealed inside the cornerstone of the new mint building that began construction that year.(1) The grandiose edifice was completed in 1874 and still stands today, but is no longer an active mint.
A single die pair was used to strike all 30,900 pieces of the 1871-S quarters. The mintage was quickly absorbed by the region and circulated widely. Survivors are elusive in all grades, making it one of the tougher dates in the 54-year run of the Seated Liberty quarter series.(2)
During its time of service to the nation, collectors held little respect to the 1871-S quarter. That situation has completely reversed itself today. The value trendlines charted below are clear indicators of a coin moving almost exclusively in the upward direction pricewise. Not many dates can boast of this.
Potential buyers seeking the 1871-S quarter will quickly discover most surviving examples are damaged or suffer from other impairments.(3) Problem-free examples of good eye appeal are the most challenging to find but hold the greatest potential for hefty gains.
| Estimated survivors in all grades: 350 ?
The survivor estimate from PCGS represents an average of one or more experts' opinions as to how many examples survive of a particular coin in all grades. Survival estimates include coins that are raw, certified by PCGS, and certified by other grading services. Learn more at PCGS. |
| PCGS Rarity Scale: 6.3 ?
The 'PCGS CoinFacts Rarity Scale' assesses the relative rarity of all U.S. coins, based on estimated surviving examples. The scale runs from 1.0 to 10.0. The higher the number, the rarer the coin.
Learn more at PCGS. |
| Click HERE to check for availability on eBay** |
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| Trendline Avg = 18.78 | BETTER |
Historic Value Trend Charts:
| Last updated 4-9-24 |  |
Return to Key Date Coin List |
| Compare to Common Date Coin of Same Type | ||
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| Download Charts to Your Computer | ||
Sources
1. NGC. 1871 S 25C MS.
2. Stack's Bowers Galleries. 1871-S Liberty Seated Quarter. May 2015 Auction.
3. Stack's Bowers Galleries. 1871-S Liberty Seated Quarter. May 2015 Auction.
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If you’re thinking about purchasing a rare coin, eBay is certainly worth a look. For your convenience, the links from this site to eBay are coded to bring up only coins certified by PCGS and NGC.
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Coin images by Stack's Bowers Galleries.
