1878 Seated Liberty Quarter
Circulation strike struck at the Philadelphia Mint · 2,260,000 made
- Mintage
- 2,260,000
- Metal
- 90% silver, 10% copper
- Weight
- 6.25 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 1878 Seated Liberty Quarter worth?
In worn condition it trades for about its silver content, 0.1808 troy ounces. Uncirculated coins with full luster or attractive toning sell for more.
What would make yours worth more:
- Uncirculated condition with full original luster
- A die variety or minting error
For market prices, check recent sold results for certified coins in the same grade.
Quick answers
- Is the 1878 Seated Liberty Quarter rare?
- No. With 2.3 million made, it's one of the most common Seated Liberty Quarters.
- Is the 1878 Seated Liberty Quarter silver?
- Yes. It's 90% silver, 10% copper and holds 0.1808 troy ounces of pure silver.
- Where is the mint mark on an 1878 Seated Liberty Quarter?
- On the reverse, below the eagle. Philadelphia quarters have no mint mark.
- Which Philadelphia dates near 1878 are scarcer?
- The 1881 at 12,000, the 1879 at 13,600, the 1880 at 13,600, plus 5 more. So the 1878 is one of the easier dates of its stretch.
- How many 1878 Seated Liberty Quarter coins were made?
- 2,260,000.
What to check on your 1878
- There's no mint mark on this one, so the date and condition are what matter.
- Don't clean it. Cleaning leaves fine scratches and an unnatural shine that collectors avoid.
- Proof or circulation strike? A proof has mirror-like fields and frosted design details and was sold to collectors, not released in change. The 1878 Seated Liberty Quarter Proof (800 made) is the one to compare with.
- Old coins pick up damage over a long life. Look for holes, bends, scratches or signs of cleaning before you judge the grade, because a damaged coin sells for a fraction of a problem-free one.
- 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.
Circulated examples are usually traded for their silver content. Pick out the best ones: original luster and attractive toning lift a coin above melt, while cleaned coins lose most of their collector value.
The story of the 1878
Production at Philadelphia fell off a cliff in 1878. Only 2,260,000 were made, against 11 million the year before. That drop is why the 1878 is the one people look for. The next year it made 13,600 (1879).
It was the big producer of the year, well ahead of 1878-S (140,000) and 1878-CC (996,000).
Philadelphia struck the Seated Liberty Quarter in 56 issues between 1838 and 1891. By mintage this one lands in the more common half, while the key for that mint is the 1886 (5,000). Within the 1870s it's 21st smallest of 28, between the 1873, With Arrows (1.3 million) and the 1877-CC (4.2 million).
Arrows return and the redemption flood (1873 to 1878)
The Coinage Act of 1873 raised the quarter slightly to 6.25 grams. Arrows again flanked the date in 1873 and 1874 to mark the change. Earlier in 1873 Philadelphia struck no-arrow quarters with both closed 3 and open 3 dates. Carson City's 1873-CC without arrows had a reported mintage of 4,000 and only five examples are known.
The Resumption Act of 1875 called for silver coins to replace the small paper notes issued during the Civil War. Quarter output exploded: Philadelphia struck 17.8 million in 1876 and 10.9 million in 1877, while San Francisco and Carson City added millions more. The 1877-S includes an S over horizontal S variety. The 1878-S, with only 140,000 struck, is the scarce date. The 1878-CC was Carson City's last quarter. Coins of 1875 to 1877 are the most common Seated quarters today.
Elsewhere in US coinage in 1878
The Bland-Allison Act required the Treasury to buy millions of dollars' worth of silver each month and coin it into dollars. George T. Morgan's new silver dollar was the result and the twenty-cent piece was struck for the last time, as proofs only.
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 | 1878 |
| Mint | Philadelphia Mint |
| Mint mark | None |
| Strike type | Circulation strike |
| Mintage | 2,260,000 |
| Face value | 25¢ |
| Composition | 90% silver, 10% copper |
| Weight | 6.25 grams |
| Diameter | 24.3 mm |
| Edge | Reeded |
| Silver content | 0.1808 troy oz (5.625 g) |
| Designer | Christian Gobrecht |
Other 1878 Seated Liberty Quarter issues
| Coin | Mintage | Type | Silver |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1878 Seated Liberty Quarter | 2,260,000 | Circulation strike | 0.1808 oz |
| 1878 Seated Liberty Quarter Proof | 800 | Proof | 0.1808 oz |
| 1878-S Seated Liberty Quarter | 140,000 | Circulation strike | 0.1808 oz |
| 1878-CC Seated Liberty Quarter | 996,000 | Circulation strike | 0.1808 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.