1853 Seated Liberty Dollar
Base
About This Coin
The 1853 Seated Liberty Dollar is a United States dollar from the Seated Liberty Dollars 1840-1873 series — 14th of 34 years in the series. In 1853, coins were struck at the Philadelphia Mint with a combined mintage of 46,122. This ranks 12th of 34 years by total mintage, below the series median of 61,818. The obverse features Liberty seated on a rock, holding a pole surmounted by a Phrygian liberty cap in her left hand and a shield inscribed LIBERTY in her right and the reverse displays a heraldic eagle with shield on breast, olive branch and arrows in talons, with a banner reading E PLURIBUS UNUM. No regular-issue dollars were produced. Only proofs were struck as the Mint focused on other denominations. Struck in 90% silver, 10% copper, weighing 26.73 grams, 38.1 mm in diameter, with a reeded edge. Collectors have identified one known die variety for this date (retained cud). Produced 5 years before the celebrated 1858 key date. Across its variants, estimated values range from $605 to $46K depending on mint mark, grade, and strike type. A notable auction result reached $129K in MS66 grade at Stack's Bowers. Designed by Christian Gobrecht.
Value Estimates
Values as of May 2026 — range across all strike types, reflecting typical grades (G-4 through MS-63). Coins in lower or exceptional grades may fall outside this range.
