Continuing in the same design trend as the Seated Liberty Dime as well as the Seated Liberty Half Dime, the Seated Liberty Quarter was introduced in 1838.

The coin, designed by Christian Gobrecht, featured Lady Liberty seated on a rock, balancing the Union Shield in her right hand, while holding a long pole with her left hand. A "LIBERTY" ribbon is draped across the front of the shield, and the Liberty mobcap tops the pole. The coin's reverse depicts the words "QUAR. DOL." arcing along the bottom, while "UNITED STATES OF AMERICA" arcs along the top. The "weak" eagle is in the middle of the reverse, with the Union Shield adorning its chest.

The Seated Liberty Quarter, like other United States coins at the time, went through several design changes. In 1853 (and 1853 only), the coin was modified to display arrowheads on either side of the date on the obverse, and the reverse had light rays added, surrounding the eagle. The rays were removed in 1854 while the arrowheads were kept. In 1866, the motto "IN GOD WE TRUST" was added to the coin's reverse in the form of a ribbon above the eagle.

This particular coin design was retired in 1891.


United States Coinage

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