1853 Seated Liberty Quarter Proof, Arrows and Rays
Proof struck at the Philadelphia Mint · 5 made
- Mintage
- 5
- Metal
- 90% silver, 10% copper
- Weight
- 6.22 g
- Diameter
- 24.3 mm
Original illustration. Tap to flip. Not a photograph of the actual coin.
Face value · Metal value · Small premium · Collector premium · Significant rarity. We use bands because prices change daily.
What is an 1853 Seated Liberty Quarter Proof, Arrows and Rays worth?
This is one of the dates collectors hunt for. A genuine 1853 is valuable in any condition, even well worn. That's exactly why fakes and altered coins turn up so often.
What would make yours worth more:
- Grade and, for proofs, strong cameo contrast
- A die variety or minting error
- Certification by PCGS or NGC, which buyers expect for scarce dates
For market prices, check recent sold results for certified coins in the same grade.
Quick answers
- Is the 1853 Seated Liberty Quarter Proof, Arrows and Rays rare?
- Fairly. The Mint made 5 for collectors. Most were kept in their original packaging.
- Is the 1853 Seated Liberty Quarter Proof, Arrows and Rays silver?
- Yes. It's 90% silver, 10% copper and holds 0.1800 troy ounces of pure silver.
- Where is the mint mark on an 1853 Seated Liberty Quarter?
- On the reverse, below the eagle. Philadelphia quarters have no mint mark.
- How many 1853 Seated Liberty Quarter Proof, Arrows and Rays coins were made?
- 5.
What to check on your 1853
- There's no mint mark on this one, so the date and condition are what matter.
- Judge the grade under good light. The word LIBERTY on Liberty's shield is the classic test: fully visible in Fine, partly worn in Very Good, gone in Good.
Proofs from 1853 were struck one at a time in small numbers and many were later spent or mishandled. Look for hairlines from cleaning, which lower the grade.
The story of the 1853
Arrows mark the lighter quarter (1853 to 1855)
The Act of February 21, 1853 cut the quarter from 6.68 to 6.22 grams so that silver coins would stay in circulation. Arrows were placed beside the date and rays around the eagle to show the change. Philadelphia struck more than 15.2 million in 1853, by far its largest quarter mintage up to that point. An 1853/4 variety shows traces of an earlier digit.
A small run of 1853 quarters was struck at the old weight without arrows, all from a repunched date die, with 44,200 reported. The rays were dropped after one year, though arrows stayed through 1855. San Francisco struck its first quarters in 1855, a mintage of 396,400. Arrow quarters survive in large numbers, many worn but with the arrows still visible, which makes them a popular choice for a type set.
Elsewhere in US coinage in 1853
Silver bullion was worth more than face value, so the Act of February 21, 1853 reduced the weight of the half dime, dime, quarter and half dollar. Arrows beside the date and rays on the reverse marked the lighter coins.
How to recognize it
Liberty sits on a rock holding a shield inscribed LIBERTY and a pole topped with a liberty cap, with 13 stars around her and the date below. The reverse shows an eagle with QUAR. DOL. below. Arrows beside the date (1853 to 1855 and 1873 to 1874) and rays around the eagle (1853) mark weight changes. The motto IN GOD WE TRUST appears above the eagle from 1866.
Mintage chart
Specifications
| Series | Seated Liberty Quarter (1838–1891) |
|---|---|
| Year | 1853 |
| Mint | Philadelphia Mint |
| Mint mark | None |
| Strike type | Proof |
| Mintage | 5 |
| Face value | 25¢ |
| Composition | 90% silver, 10% copper |
| Weight | 6.22 grams |
| Diameter | 24.3 mm |
| Edge | Reeded |
| Silver content | 0.1800 troy oz (5.598 g) |
| Designer | Christian Gobrecht |
Other 1853 Seated Liberty Quarter issues
| Coin | Mintage | Type | Silver |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1853 Seated Liberty Quarter, No Arrows | 44,200 | Circulation strike | 0.1800 oz |
| 1853 Seated Liberty Quarter, Arrows and Rays (3 over 4 overdate errors are known) | 15,210,020 | Circulation strike | 0.1800 oz |
| 1853 Seated Liberty Quarter Proof, Arrows and Rays | 5 | Proof | 0.1800 oz |
| 1853-O Seated Liberty Quarter, Arrows and Rays | 1,332,000 | Circulation strike | 0.1800 oz |
Mintage: United States quarter mintage figures (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0), compiled from US Mint records and the Guide Book of United States Coins. How we build these pages.