U.S. Mint coin reference

1873–1874: Liberty Seated Quarter (Variety 3A: Arrows at Date with Motto)

Liberty Seated quarters ran for decades and include multiple subtypes.

View mintage profile

1873 Liberty Seated quarter with arrows at the date and IN GOD WE TRUST motto

Coin specifications and design

Years made: 1873-1874

Country: United States

Denomination: Quarter dollar

Category: Circulating coin

Composition: 90% silver, 10% copper

Silver fineness: 90%

Silver weight: 0.1808 oz ASW

Weight: 6.25 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.

1873–1874: Liberty Seated Quarter (Variety 3A: Arrows at Date with Motto) history

1873–1874: Liberty Seated Quarter (Variety 3A: Arrows at Date with Motto) uses arrows beside the date to signal the reduced subsidiary-silver weight authorized in 1853. Unlike the quarter and half dollar, the dime and half dime did not use a rays-around-eagle reverse.

These quarters announce the 6.25-gram standard with arrows beside the date. At .900 fineness they contain about 0.1808 troy ounce of silver, and the revised weight continued after 1874.