SEATED LIBERTY SILVER DOLLAR
The United States has produced a wide variety of dollar coins for years now. Made of various metals at different points, including gold, silver, copper and nickel, they have been a popular denomination with both the general public and coin collectors alike. Without a doubt, one of the most popular U.S. dollar coins is the Liberty Seated silver dollars minted from 1836 till 1871. Director of the United States Mint, R. M. Patterson tasked engraver Christian Gobrecht to prepare a pair of dies based upon designs by Tomas Sully and Titian Peale.
Christian Gobrecht’s initial designs included his first initial and complete last name on the obverse of the coin. The mint produced less than 2,000 of these coins. By the time the mint began production for circulation use in 1840, the design did not include his name on the coin. Seated Liberty dollar values year after year move higher and higher. Today the minimum value for a coin in “Good” condition is over $220.
It is always thrilling finding a rare date, but it isn’t the only way to higher value. A nice condition or a better “Grade” coin moves the value up into the two or three-hundred-dollar range. The0. Uncirculated Seated Liberty dollar pictured is a treasure any collector would find exciting to own. The value is over $1,200 in such nice condition.
Seated Liberty dollars are not usually collected in a date-and-mint-mark manner due to their overall scarcity and expense. However, many collectors and investors do try and complete (or nearly complete) sets of Seated Liberty dollars, but not without having to spend years of dedication and many thousands of dollars to reach the often-elusive goal. Even then, the task of obtaining a piece like the 1870s is nearly insurmountable except for the wealthiest of collectors.
For many reasons, Seated Liberty dollars are often found in type collections. Type collections contain representative examples of coins minted during whole eras, decades, and centuries. In such a case, having only one Seated Liberty dollar is sufficient in representing the entire series within a type collection.
Buying Seated Liberty dollars can sometimes be difficult.
Unfortunately, many surviving Liberty Seated dollars have been cleaned, scratched, and holed. Therefore, finding a problem-free Seated Liberty dollar can be somewhat of a challenge.
It is fair to say that an original, well-circulated Seated Liberty dollar with no problems is overall a better buy for the money than a lightly circulated Seated Liberty dollar with a hole, scratches, or evidence of past cleanings. The best place to purchase a Seated Liberty dollar is from a reputable coin dealer who regularly deals with 19th century coins.