1853 US Coins: Values & Mintages

US coinage in 1853

Silver bullion was worth more than face value, so the Act of February 21, 1853 reduced the weight of the half dime, dime, quarter and half dollar. Arrows beside the date and rays on the reverse marked the lighter coins.

How many coins were made in 1853

Counting the circulation issues on this page, US mints struck 72,850,242 coins dated 1853 across 19 issues. That is 146% more than in 1852 (29,647,929). In 1854 the figure fell to 42,190,168.

No earlier year on our list comes close: it was the largest output up to that point.

By mint: Philadelphia 66,422,140 (91%, up from 28,562,135), New Orleans 6,410,004 (8.8%, up from 1,070,000), Charlotte 11,515 (0.02%, up from 9,434) and Dahlonega 6,583 (0.01%, up from 6,360).

Those coins held about 6,474,575 troy ounces of pure silver and 212,107 troy ounces of gold.

1853 coins by denomination

Cents: 6,641,131 struck in 1 circulation issue of the Braided Hair Large Cent, up 31% on 1852.

Dimes: 13,273,010 struck in 3 circulation issues of the Seated Liberty Dime, up 575% on 1852. The scarcest is the 1853 (95,000) and the most plentiful the 1853 (With Arrows) (12,078,010).

Quarters: 16,586,220 struck in 3 circulation issues of the Seated Liberty Quarter, up 5974% on 1852. The scarcest is the 1853, No Arrows (44,200) and the most plentiful the 1853, Arrows and Rays (3 over 4 overdate errors are known) (15,210,020).

Half Dollars: 4,860,712 struck in 3 circulation issues of the Seated Liberty Half Dollar, up 2098% on 1852. The scarcest is the 1853-O, No Arrows (4) and the most plentiful the 1853, Arrows and Rays (3,532,708).

Gold Coins: 4,384,149 struck in 4 circulation issues of the Gold Dollar, up 99% on 1852. The scarcest is the 1853-D (6,583) and the most plentiful the 1853 (4,076,051).

Odd Denominations: 27,105,020 struck in 5 circulation issues of the Three-Cent Silver and Seated Liberty Half Dime, up 36% on 1852. The scarcest is the 1853 (135,000) and the most plentiful the 1853 (With Arrows) (13,210,020).

Every 1853 circulation issue at a glance

• 1853-O Seated Liberty Half Dollar, No Arrows: 4 struck, the lowest mintage of all 116 Seated Liberty Half Dollar issues, down from 144,000 in 1852.
• 1853-D Gold Dollar: 6,583 struck, 28th lowest of 75 in the series, similar to 1852.
• 1853-C Gold Dollar: 11,515 struck, more than 55% of the series' 75 issues, similar to 1852.
• 1853 Seated Liberty Quarter, No Arrows: 44,200 struck, 26th lowest of 108 in the series, down from 177,060 in 1852.
• 1853 Seated Liberty Dime: 95,000 struck, 23rd lowest of 116 in the series, down from 1,535,500 in 1852.
• 1853 Seated Liberty Half Dime: 135,000 struck, 14th lowest of 70 in the series, down from 1,000,500 in 1852.
• 1853-O Seated Liberty Half Dime: 160,000 struck, 16th lowest of 70 in the series, down from 260,000 in 1852.
• 1853-O Gold Dollar: 290,000 struck, more than 84% of the series' 75 issues, up from 140,000 in 1852.
• 1853-O Seated Liberty Dime: 1,100,000 struck, more than 57% of the series' 116 issues, up from 430,000 in 1852.
• 1853-O Seated Liberty Half Dollar, Arrows and Rays: 1,328,000 struck, more than 67% of the series' 116 issues, up from 144,000 in 1852.
• 1853-O Seated Liberty Quarter, Arrows and Rays: 1,332,000 struck, more than 82% of the series' 108 issues, up from 96,000 in 1852.
• 1853-O Seated Liberty Half Dime (With Arrows): 2,200,000 struck, more than 88% of the series' 70 issues, up from 260,000 in 1852.

The 7 more plentiful issues are listed in the tables below.

Braided Hair Large Cent: Record output and the end of the large cent

The large cent peaked in 1851 with 9.9 million coined. That year includes the 1851/81 date error. Output stayed high through 1854, but copper prices kept rising. By the mid 1850s each cent cost close to its face value to make. The 1855 has upright and slanting 5 varieties plus a Knob on Ear die break. The 1856 comes with an upright or slanting 5.

Congress ended the large cent with the Act of February 21, 1857, which created the smaller copper-nickel cent. Only 333,456 large cents dated 1857 were coined, early in the year, in large date and small date styles. These later dates survive in larger numbers in uncirculated grades than earlier cents, many with original red and brown color. Proof mintages also increased in 1854 to 1857 as interest in collecting grew.

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Seated Liberty Quarter: Arrows mark the lighter quarter

The Act of February 21, 1853 cut the quarter from 6.68 to 6.22 grams so that silver coins would stay in circulation. Arrows were placed beside the date and rays around the eagle to show the change. Philadelphia struck more than 15.2 million in 1853, by far its largest quarter mintage up to that point. An 1853/4 variety shows traces of an earlier digit.

A small run of 1853 quarters was struck at the old weight without arrows, all from a repunched date die, with 44,200 reported. The rays were dropped after one year, though arrows stayed through 1855. San Francisco struck its first quarters in 1855, a mintage of 396,400. Arrow quarters survive in large numbers, many worn but with the arrows still visible, which makes them a popular choice for a type set.

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Seated Liberty Half Dollar: Arrows, rays and lighter halves

The Act of February 21, 1853 reduced the half dollar from 13.36 to 12.44 grams. Arrows beside the date and rays around the eagle marked the new weight in 1853. Philadelphia and New Orleans struck more than 4.8 million between them, so the arrows and rays type is easy to find in worn grades. It is a one-year type that most collectors include in a type set.

A handful of 1853-O halves were struck without arrows or rays. Only four are known and the coin is among the most famous Seated rarities. The rays were dropped in 1854, while arrows remained through 1855. New Orleans struck 5,240,000 in 1854. San Francisco struck its first halves in 1855, a scarce run of 129,950. The 1855/4 overdate from Philadelphia is a popular variety.

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Gold Dollar: Small Type 1 dollars of the gold rush

The Act of March 3, 1849 created the gold dollar to make use of the flood of California gold. James B. Longacre's Type 1 coin is tiny, about 13 mm across, with a Liberty head and a wreath reverse. Philadelphia, Charlotte, Dahlonega and New Orleans all struck it in 1849. By 1853 Philadelphia was producing millions a year.

First-year 1849 coins come with open and closed wreaths and with or without Longacre's L on the truncation. The 1849-C with an open wreath is a great rarity. Charlotte and Dahlonega coins were struck in small numbers and often show weak strikes, while New Orleans pieces are more plentiful. Many Type 1 dollars were made into jewelry, so check for solder marks and polished surfaces.

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Three-Cent Silver: Type 1 trimes for the postage rate

The Act of March 3, 1851 cut the letter postage rate to three cents and created a small silver three-cent piece to pay it. James B. Longacre's design shows a six-pointed star with a shield on one side and a C with the Roman numeral III on the other. At 0.80 grams it is the lightest silver coin the United States has struck.

Type 1 coins are 75 percent silver and have no outline around the star. Philadelphia struck 18,663,500 in 1852. New Orleans struck 720,000 in 1851, the only branch mint three-cent piece. The low silver content kept them in circulation while full-weight silver coins were being hoarded. Survivors are common in worn grades and are frequently bent or holed.

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Seated Liberty Dime: Arrows mark a lighter dime

The Act of February 21, 1853 solved the silver problem by making the coins lighter. The dime dropped from 2.67 to 2.49 grams, so its silver was once again worth less than its face value and it could circulate freely. The same law limited the amount of silver coin anyone had to accept in a single payment, which made the dime a subsidiary coin. To show the change, small arrowheads were placed on either side of the date. Unlike the quarter and half dollar, the dime got no rays on the reverse. Before the new dies were ready, Philadelphia struck 95,000 dimes at the old weight without arrows. Those coins are scarce today.

Once the arrows dies arrived, Philadelphia struck 12,078,010 dimes in 1853, a total no later Seated dime topped until 1891. New Orleans added 1,100,000 that year and 1,770,000 in 1854. Philadelphia struck 4,470,000 in 1854 and 2,075,000 in 1855. New Orleans made no dimes in 1855. The flood of new coins finally gave the country enough small change after years of shortage.

Arrows dimes are among the most available Seated dimes from before the Civil War. They make a popular type coin because the arrows stay visible even on heavily worn pieces. Check both sides of the date for them. An 1853 without arrows is the coin to look for, since its mintage was less than one percent of the arrows total.

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Seated Liberty Half Dime: Arrows and the lighter half dime

The Act of February 21, 1853 cut the weight of the half dime from 1.34 to 1.24 grams so that the coins would stay in circulation. Arrowheads beside the date marked the new standard. Unlike the quarter and half dollar, the half dime got no rays on the reverse. With its silver now worth less than its face value, the coin was no longer worth melting. Before the new dies were ready, Philadelphia struck 135,000 coins without arrows and New Orleans 160,000. The 1853-O without arrows is the rarer of the two and a key date of the series.

Then came the flood, with New Orleans striking arrows coins in every year of the period. Philadelphia struck 13,210,020 arrows half dimes in 1853, the largest mintage of any half dime ever made. New Orleans added 2,200,000. In 1854 the totals were 5,740,000 and 1,560,000. In 1855 they fell to 1,750,000 and 600,000. After years of shortage, there were finally enough small silver coins to go around.

Arrows half dimes are the easiest Seated half dimes to find from before the Civil War and a popular type coin. The arrows survive even heavy wear, so check both sides of the date. If your 1853 has no arrows, look at the reverse for an O mint mark near the bow, because that combination is the one collectors look for most.

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