U.S. Mint coin reference

1838–1840: Liberty Seated Quarter (Type 1: No Drapery at Elbow)

Liberty Seated quarters ran for decades and include multiple subtypes.

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1838 Liberty Seated quarter, No Drapery type, obverse and reverse

Coin specifications and design

Years made: 1838-1840

Country: United States

Denomination: Quarter dollar

Category: Circulating coin

Composition: 90% silver, 10% copper

Silver fineness: 90%

Silver weight: Approx. 0.1933 oz ASW

Weight: 6.68 g

Diameter: 24.3 mm

Thickness: Approx. 1.75 mm

Edge: Reeded

Designer: Christian Gobrecht

Design identification

Obverse: Liberty seated on a rock holding shield and pole.

Reverse: Heraldic eagle with shield, olive branch, and arrows; this No Drapery subtype has no motto ribbon.

1838–1840: Liberty Seated Quarter (Type 1: No Drapery at Elbow) history

1838–1840: Liberty Seated Quarter (Type 1: No Drapery at Elbow) is the first Seated Liberty quarter subtype. Liberty’s elbow lacks the added drapery fold seen on the later hub, and every coin in this subtype uses the 6.68-gram pre-reduction standard.

At approximately 0.1933 troy ounce of actual silver, this issue should not carry the lower ASW associated with post-1853 quarters. The drapery detail, date, and reverse lettering separate it from the 1840–1853 revision.