1885 Seated Liberty Quarter

About This Coin

The 1885 Seated Liberty Quarter is a United States quarter from the Seated Liberty Quarters 1838-1891 series — a late issue, 48th of 54 years in the series. In 1885, coins were struck at the Philadelphia Mint with a combined mintage of 14,530. This ranks 6th of 54 years by total mintage, below the series median of 500,580. 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 Gilded Age of rapid industrialization and the great silver debates, when monetary policy shaped elections and economic destiny. Struck in silver, weighing 6.3 grams, 24.3 mm in diameter, with a reeded edge. Struck one year before the 1886 key date, the lowest-mintage regular issue in the series. Across its variants, estimated values range from $261 to $1.4K depending on mint mark, grade, and strike type. A notable auction result reached $33K in PR66 grade at Heritage Auctions. Designed by Robert Ball Hughes/Christian Gobrecht.