1876 Seated Liberty Twenty Cent

About This Coin

The 1876 Seated Liberty Twenty Cent is a United States cent from the Seated Liberty Twenty Cents 1875-1878 series — the second year of the series. In 1876, coins were struck at the Philadelphia and Carson City Mints with a combined mintage of 25,900. This represents the second-highest annual mintage in the series, above the series median of 13,250. The obverse features Liberty seated on a rock, holding a pole surmounted by a Phrygian liberty cap in her left hand and a shield inscribed LIBERTY in her right and the reverse displays an eagle with outstretched wings. The 1876-CC with a mintage of approximately 10,000 is the key date — most were melted when the denomination was recognized as a failure. Only Philadelphia and Carson City struck coins for circulation. Struck in 90% silver, 10% copper, weighing 5 grams, 22 mm in diameter, with a plain edge. Across its variants, estimated values range from $298 to $483K depending on mint mark, grade, and strike type. A notable auction result reached $870K in MS65 grade at Heritage Auctions. Designed by William Barber.