1857-S 25C MS(PCGS#5444)

Summer 2026 Global Showcase Auction U.S. Coins

Auctioneer

Stack's Bowers

Lot Number

3018

Grade

MS63

Price

7,930

Lot Description

Our first offering for a Mint State example of this issue since 1999, and a handsome Select quality coin with richly toned surfaces. Dressed in sandy-copper and reddish-russet patina, both sides reveal iridescent undertones of steel-blue, pinkish-apricot and antique gold as the coin rotates under strong lighting. The strike is razor sharp to full throughout, and there is plenty of frosty luster to further reward the viewer aided by direct lighting. All early San Francisco Mint quarters are elusive, due to a combination of limited mintages, heavy commercial use, and a complete lack of numismatic activity in the Old West. The 1857-S, with just 82,000 coins struck, is no exception, and it is particularly rare in Mint State with a Rarity-6+ rating at this level per Larry Briggs (<em>The Comprehensive Encyclopedia of United States Liberty Seated Quarters</em>, 1991).