The 1840 Seated Liberty Dollar (Buy on eBay) was struck for circulation at the Philadelphia Mint during the 1st year of the series. The total mintage for this issue reached 61,005. Ordering the mintages from lowest to highest, this coin ranks as 26 out of the 45 different circulation strike issues of the series.
Due to the generally limited mintage levels and high rate of melting, values for the coin will exceed the value of the 0.77344 troy ounces of silver content. Higher grade coins and scarcer dates of the series may carry a substantial premium.
The Philadelphia Mint struck the 1840 silver dollar in proof format for collectors, although the mintage level was unreported. The Proof Liberty Seated Dollars from 1840 to 1857 generally have fewer known survivors and generate stronger premiums than later proofs of the series.
Seated Liberty Dollars were issued between the years 1840 to 1873 and feature a design by Christian Gobrecht, the third Chief Engraver of the United States Mint. The obverse features an image of Liberty seated on a rock with her right hand resting on a shield and her left holding a pole with a Phrygian cap on top. The reverse design features a bald eagle with a shield at its chest and a bundle of arrows and olive branch in its talons. The series is a genuine challenge to collect due to limited mintages and low survival rates, contributing to a number of significant rarities.
Coin Specifications
- Date: 1840
- Mint Mark: none
- Mint Facility: Philadelphia
- Mintage: 61,005
- Composition: 90% silver, 10% copper
- Diameter: 38.1 mm
- Weight: 26.73 grams
