1855 Seated Liberty Dollar
Base
About This Coin
The 1855 Seated Liberty Dollar is a United States dollar from the Seated Liberty Dollars 1840-1873 series — 16th of 34 years in the series. In 1855, coins were struck at the Philadelphia Mint with a combined mintage of 26,060. This ranks 8th 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. Struck during the California Gold Rush era, when vast quantities of western gold transformed the American economy and led to new denominations. Struck in 90% silver, 10% copper, weighing 26.73 grams, 38.1 mm in diameter, with a reeded edge. Produced 3 years before the celebrated 1858 key date. Across its variants, estimated values range from $1.6K to $21K depending on mint mark, grade, and strike type. A notable auction result reached $150K in MS64 grade at Heritage Auctions. 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.
