Seated Liberty Quarters (no Motto)
Reworked by Christian Gobrecht
Seated Liberty Quarters (no Motto) variety represents the first type in this series. Produced from 1838 to 1866 these silver quarters underwent a couple of notable changes. First, in 1853, rays were added on the reverse of the coin above the eagle to indicate a slight reduction in weight. The rays were later omitted due to problems striking the coins. Another difference was the addition of arrows at either side of the date on the obverse. The arrows were added from 1853 to 1855 and also represent a decrease in metal content.
The obverse of these silver coins is designed by Christian Gobrecht. The portrait of Liberty is the same one he made popular in 1836 on the new silver dollars. The design features Liberty seated upon a rock with a union shield at her right and a staff in her left hand. Thirteen stars surround the entire design with the date beneath.
In the beginning, from 1838 to 1839, the reverse of the coin had the same design as the previous issue Capped Bust Quarters. It was designed by John Reich and William Kneass but was later re-designed by Robert Ball Hughes who was hired by Mint
Director Patterson. Also, the
denomination was changed from
"25 C" to "QUAR. DOL."
Coin Specifications:
Designer: Christian Gobrecht
Weight: 6.68 grams
Comp: 90.0% Silver, 10.0% Copper
Diameter: 24.3mm
Edge: Reeded
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