1872 Seated Liberty Silver Dollar

1872 Liberty Seated dollars are among the most common of the popular 19th-century United States coin series. That statement, however, should be taken in the context of Liberty Seated dollars as a whole, which are generally regarded as scarce coins. The majority of 1872 dollars were struck at the Philadelphia Mint, with a small percentage of that year’s total coming from the Carson City and San Francisco Mints. 1872 Liberty Seated dollars are the most common of the Liberty Seated dollar series in terms of mintage, and they are therefore usually bought by coin collectors who want relatively inexpensive examples of these coins for inclusion in their type sets.

Here’s a look at the mintages and values of 1872 Liberty Seated dollars:

• 1872, 1,105,500 minted; $300 to $2,100

• 1872-CC, 3,150; $3,000 to $28,000

• 1872-S, 9,000; $500 to $12,000

• 1872 proof, 950; $4,000

*Price ranges are from a low grade of Very Good-8 through Mint State-60 unless otherwise stated.

Liberty Seated dollars are generally very difficult to find uncleaned and undamaged. Most have experienced significant wear and tear in circulation, and far too many have been cleaned, counterstamped, or otherwise altered. Collectors who desire especially nice, problem-free specimens should expect to pay more than standard book value.

1872 Liberty Seated silver dollars were designed by United States Mint Chief Engraver Christian Gobrecht. He also designed several other coins bearing the Liberty Seated motif, including the half dime, dime, quarter, and half dollar, all of which saw production during the late 1830s through early 1890s. As a footnote here, William Barber designed the 20 Cent piece of the 1870s, which looks much like the Liberty Seated coinage of Gobrecht’s origin and is often even counted among such.

1872 Liberty Seated dollars consist of a 90 percent silver and 10 percent copper composition. Each silver dollar contains 0.77344 ounces, or nearly a full ounce, of pure silver. These coins measure 38.1 millimeters in diameter and weigh 26.73 grams, so they have the same physical specifications as the popularly collected Morgan and Peace silver dollars.