1878 Seated Liberty Twenty Cent
Base
About This Coin
The 1878 Seated Liberty Twenty Cent is a United States cent from the Seated Liberty Twenty Cents 1875-1878 series — the final year of the series. In 1878, coins were struck at the Philadelphia Mint with a combined mintage of 600. This represents the second-lowest annual mintage in the series, below the series median of 13,250. 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 an eagle with outstretched wings. Final proof-only year with approximately 600 specimens. The denomination was formally discontinued, one of the shortest-lived in U.S. coinage history. Struck in 90% silver, 10% copper, weighing 5 grams, 22 mm in diameter, with a plain edge. Estimated market value across variants is approximately $5.6K. A notable auction result reached $25K in PR65 CAC grade at Stack's Bowers. Designed by William Barber.
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.