USA 25 cents Seated Liberty Quarter 1854
USA, New Orleans
Rarity
Common
Attributes of Coins
| Region | USA |
|---|---|
| Denomination | ¼ dollar |
| Krause number | KM# 81 |
| Mintage | 1,484,000 |
| Metal | Silver 0.900 |
| diameter | 24.3 mm |
| weight | 6.22 g |
Obverse:
Liberty
Star
Creators:
Christian Gobrecht
LIBERTY
Reverse:
Coat of arms
Creators:
Christian Gobrecht
QUAR.DOL.
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
Introduction of Coins
1854-O quarters are fairly plentiful in circulated grades, but Mint State pieces remain elusive despite the high mintage. The several die pairs identified for this issue are of little interest, with one big exception. The Huge O reverse is extremely popular and commands a substantial premium. This features what appears to be a hand-cut mintmark that is bloated and mis-shapen. Most writers have stated that this operation was performed at the New Orleans Mint because it received a reverse die that was lacking its "O" mintmark. A more likely scenario is that the die had a mintmark that was shallow and faded away from normal erosion and/or polishing of the die to remove clash marks or erosion lines. In Larry Briggs' book on this coin series is illustrated a late state of his Die C in which the mintmark and adjacent lettering has become diminished in this manner, and it may be that this die or a similar one was again made usable through recutting of the mintmark by hand.Read More
