1866 Seated Liberty Quarter Proof, With Motto
Proof struck at the Philadelphia Mint · 725 made
- Mintage
- 725
- 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 1866 Seated Liberty Quarter Proof, With Motto worth?
This is one of the dates collectors hunt for. A genuine 1866 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 1866 Seated Liberty Quarter Proof, With Motto rare?
- Fairly. The Mint made 725 for collectors. Most were kept in their original packaging.
- Is the 1866 Seated Liberty Quarter Proof, With Motto silver?
- Yes. It's 90% silver, 10% copper and holds 0.1800 troy ounces of pure silver.
- Where is the mint mark on an 1866 Seated Liberty Quarter?
- On the reverse, below the eagle. Philadelphia quarters have no mint mark.
- How many 1866 Seated Liberty Quarter Proof, With Motto coins were made?
- 725.
What to check on your 1866
- 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 1866 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 1866
IN GOD WE TRUST joins the reverse (1866 to 1872)
In 1866 the motto IN GOD WE TRUST was added on a ribbon above the eagle. Silver still did not circulate in the East, so Philadelphia struck only 16,800 business strikes that year and similar small numbers through 1869. San Francisco carried more of the load, but even its mintages stayed below 100,000 in every year of the period.
The Carson City Mint in Nevada struck its first quarters in 1870. The 1870-CC (8,340 struck) and the 1871-CC (10,890) are among the toughest dates in the whole Seated series. The 1872-CC, with 22,850 made, is scarce as well. Survivors from this period are often well worn, cleaned or damaged because many circulated for years in the mining West. Philadelphia proofs of 600 to 1,000 a year are the usual way collectors fill these dates in high grade.
Elsewhere in US coinage in 1866
The five-cent nickel arrived in 1866 with the Shield design. The motto "In God We Trust" was added to silver dollars, half dollars, quarters and the larger gold 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 | 1866 |
| Mint | Philadelphia Mint |
| Mint mark | None |
| Strike type | Proof |
| Mintage | 725 |
| 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 1866 Seated Liberty Quarter issues
| Coin | Mintage | Type | Silver |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1866 Seated Liberty Quarter, With Motto | 16,800 | Circulation strike | 0.1800 oz |
| 1866 Seated Liberty Quarter, No Motto (Mint records do not state any were made) | – | Variety | 0.1800 oz |
| 1866 Seated Liberty Quarter Proof, With Motto | 725 | Proof | 0.1800 oz |
| 1866-S Seated Liberty Quarter, With Motto | 28,000 | 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.