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The Seated Liberty dollar was a dollar coin struck by the United States Mint from 1840 to 1873 and designed by its chief engraver, Christian Gobrecht. The coin's obverse is based on that of the Gobrecht dollar, which had been minted experimentally from 1836 to 1839. However, the soaring eagle used on the reverse of the Gobrecht dollar was not used; instead, the United States Mint used a heraldic eagle, based on a design by late Mint Chief Engraver John Reich first utilized on coins in 1807.
The Liberty Seated dollar design was modified in 1866 by the addition of the motto IN GOD WE TRUST on the ribbon or scroll above the eagle on the reverse.
The coins were struck in limited quantities, heavily exported, and later melted, making the number of overall surviving specimens limited.
Although mint records do not indicate that any were produced, nine examples of the 1870-S Seated Liberty Dollar are known to exist. The original mintage is presumed to be 12 pieces, making this issue without a doubt the rarest of the series. One of the finest known pieces from the James A. Stack sale conducted in 2003 realized $1,092,500. An example graded PCGS XF40 sold for $503,125 in 2009.
Obverse
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Depicts the figure of Liberty clad in a flowing dress and seated upon a rock. In her left hand, she holds a Liberty pole surmounted by a Phrygian cap, which had been a pre-eminent symbol of freedom during the movement of Neoclassicism (and in fact traces its roots back to Ancient Greece and Rome). Liberty's right hand rested on the top corner of a striped shield with a diagonal banner inscribed with the word "Liberty". The shield represented preparedness in the defense of freedom. The date of the coin appeared on the bottom below Liberty. Thirteen six-pointed stars around the rim, commemorating the original thirteen colonies. LIBERTY |
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Reverse
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A left-facing bald eagle about to take flight, with a striped shield upon its breast. The eagle clutched an olive branch of peace in its right talons and a group of arrows in its left talons. Above the eagle around the rim were the motto IN GOD WE TRUST on a ribbon and the inscription UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. Below the eagle around the rim lay the coin denomination. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA |
Edge |