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COIN VALUE GUIDES · SILVER DOLLARS
Seated Liberty Dollar:No Motto, With Motto, Mint Marks and Value
Identify a Liberty Seated silver dollar, distinguish its normal design eras from Trade and Morgan dollars, and compare an 1871 Philadelphia example by grade.
HeriBase TeamPublished In this article
Quick answer
The Liberty Seated dollar is a historic U.S. silver-dollar series dated 1840–1873, with Liberty seated on the obverse and an eagle on the reverse. Ordinary examples use 90% silver and approximately 0.7734 troy ounce of fine silver at nominal weight. No Motto and With Motto are separate design eras.
The PCGS guide checked October 26, 2026 lists ordinary 1871 Philadelphia regular strikes at $400 in G4, $600 in VF20 and $5,500 in MS63. These are one date’s non-Prooflike references, not prices for every seated portrait or every Seated dollar.
Coin photos
Basics & coin story
Christian Gobrecht’s seated Liberty motif appeared across several silver denominations, so the portrait alone cannot establish that a coin is a dollar. Size, weight, date and the reverse denomination must agree. Earlier Gobrecht dollars are also treated as a separate series from the regular Liberty Seated dollars beginning in 1840.
The normal regular-dollar design added IN GOD WE TRUST above the eagle in 1866. The photographed 1871 example belongs to that With Motto era. A no-motto reverse on a purported 1871 dollar would not match the normal issue and would call for examination rather than immediate pricing.
PCGS records 1,074,760 Philadelphia regular strikes in 1871 and describes the date as a useful circulated type example. Availability in worn grades does not imply that high Mint State grades are common. The later Morgan dollar guide covers a different portrait and collecting series.
| Feature | What to check |
|---|---|
| Series / denomination | Liberty Seated dollar, 1840–1873 / $1 |
| Designer | Christian Gobrecht |
| Normal alloy | 90% silver, 10% copper |
| Nominal weight / diameter | 26.73 g / 38.1 mm |
| Fine silver | Approximately 0.7734 troy ounce |
| Edge | Reeded |
| Main design eras | No Motto; normal With Motto beginning in 1866 |
| Photographed issue | 1871 Philadelphia regular strike, no mint letter |
Identification
Read ONE DOL. beneath the eagle
A Seated half dime, dime, quarter or half dollar is not a dollar. Confirm the full reverse and dimensions before using dollar values. A Trade dollar has separate inscriptions and specifications despite another seated Liberty design.
Check the motto against the date
The ordinary 1871 reverse includes IN GOD WE TRUST. The earlier No Motto type requires its own date and variety comparison. Treat an inconsistent design-and-date combination as an identification or authenticity problem, not as proof of a newly discovered rarity.
Read mint and manufacture independently
Philadelphia is normally unmarked; O, S and CC occur on appropriate branch-mint dates. The letter appears on the reverse below the eagle. Not every mint produced every date. Proofs and Prooflike regular strikes have separate entries, even when fields appear similarly reflective.
Condition & value
Amounts are in U.S. dollars. PCGS retail-guide examples were checked October 26, 2026 and apply only to the stated issue, grade and designation. They are not guaranteed purchase offers; current market conditions and selling costs can change the amount received.
| Issue | Grade / condition | Value or reference | Basis | Important condition |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1871 Philadelphia, regular non-PL | G4 | $400 | PCGS retail guide | Circulated type example |
| 1871 Philadelphia, regular non-PL | VF20 | $600 | PCGS retail guide | Exact grade and surfaces |
| 1871 Philadelphia, regular non-PL | MS63 | $5,500 | PCGS retail guide | Uncirculated, not Proof |
| Contained silver | Approximately 0.7734 troy oz | 0.7734 × silver spot per oz | Metal reference | Not the full collector value |
| Other date / mint / Proof / PL | Exact catalog entry | Compare separately | Different issues | No 1871 price transferred |
This is a series in which collector value often outweighs metal content. The contained-silver formula is still useful for understanding composition, but it is not a substitute for identifying a scarce mint or authenticating the coin.
Assess wear on Liberty and the eagle, then inspect open fields, rims and the edge for cleaning, mounting or damage. A coin with no circulation wear can still have significant marks. For an expensive purchase, match completed sales by date, mint, grade, manufacture and surface designation. The appraisal guide explains why a retail estimate and a net buying offer can differ.
Summary
Confirm the dollar denomination and a consistent date, motto and mint combination. Use an ordinary 1871 reference only for that entry; other seated designs, branch-mint dates and Proofs need separate evidence.
FAQ
What years are Liberty Seated dollars?
The regular Liberty Seated dollar series runs from 1840 through 1873. Earlier Gobrecht dollars are a separate series.
How much silver is in a Seated Liberty dollar?
A standard example is 90% silver, with approximately 0.7734 troy ounce of fine silver at nominal weight.
Is every coin with seated Liberty a dollar?
No. The motif appears on several denominations, and Trade dollars are a separate series. Read the denomination and specifications.
Should an ordinary 1871 Seated dollar have the motto?
Yes. The normal 1871 reverse is the With Motto design, with IN GOD WE TRUST above the eagle.
References
References and further reading
Sources and quoted guide evidence checked October 26, 2026. Guide estimates, historical sales, face value and metal-content calculations are identified separately.