1865 Seated Liberty Silver Dollar

1865 Liberty Seated dollars are scarce 19th-century type silver coins mainly collected by those who appreciate classic United States coinage. The 1865 Seated Liberty dollar is a difficult issue to find for the most part; they were made during the historically significant Civil War period. For this reason, many Seated Liberty dollars of this vintage are collected not only by numismatists but also Civil War buffs.

Mintages of the 1865 Seated Liberty dollar are small. Only 46,500 were made, including 500 proofs. Values for the circulation strikes range from $400 for a specimen grading Very Good-8 to $3,600 or more for uncirculated specimens. Proofs, meanwhile, are generally worth $5,000 and up.

Like most other Liberty Seated dollars of the 1860s, those made in 1865 were struck at only the Philadelphia Mint. Otherwise, Liberty Seated dollars were made at various United States Mint facilities during the course of the series’ 1840-1873 run. In addition to the Philadelphia Mint, other facilities that produced the Liberty Seated dollar include the Carson City, New Orleans, and San Francisco Mints.

Christian Gobrecht designed the Liberty Seated dollar, and the design is replicated on several other silver denominations, including the half dime, dime, quarter, and half dollar of the period. All Liberty Seated coins, even the “common dates,” are regarded as scarce collectibles and are valued more for their numismatic significance than their 90 percent silver content. While Liberty Seated silver dollars circulated during the 1840s and 1850s, they were more commonly used for foreign trade during the 1860s, when silver prices were rising and large silver coins, such as Liberty Seated dollars, were valued for their foreign trade potential.

1865 Liberty Seated dollar consists of a 90 percent silver and 10 percent copper composition. They also weigh 26.73 grams, contain 0.77344 ounces of pure silver, and measure 38.1 millimeters in diameter. It should be noted that these are the same physical specifications of the Morgan and Peace silver dollars struck during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.