1855

The 1855 Seated Liberty Dollar carries a 26,000-piece mintage at the Philadelphia Mint, the lowest of the 1854-1856 mid-1850s Semi-Key group and a continuation of the restricted Seated Dollar production pattern that defined the post-1853 era. The 1855 carries the standard Christian Gobrecht obverse and the No Motto reverse that defines the series through 1865. The continued low production reflects the persistent silver-gold ratio that made silver-dollar coinage uneconomic relative to the new lower-weight subsidiary coinage authorized by the Act of February 21, 1853.

Strike quality on the 1855 is generally above average for the small-mintage year, with the low production keeping dies fresh and Liberty's head, the seated figure's drapery, and the eagle's central feathers coming up cleanly on most coins. Most surviving 1855 Seated Dollars grade VF to AU from circulation in the 1850s, with PCGS, the Professional Coin Grading Service, and NGC populations clustering at EF and AU. Mint State examples are scarce above MS62 and genuinely rare at MS65 and above. The 26,000-piece original mintage produces a tight certified population concentrated in the EF and AU grade bands.

The 1855 is a Semi-Key issue and one of the most-collected mid-1850s Seated Dollars alongside the 1854. Pricing trades at meaningful premiums above the more available 1853 and 1856 Philadelphia issues at every grade, with the gap widening sharply at MS63 and above. The 1855 pairs with the 1854 as the matched lower-mintage 1854-1855 Semi-Key pair that defines the upper tier of the 1853-1860 Philadelphia group. Authentication concerns center on cleaning, polishing, and rim damage in the raw market; certified slabs from PCGS or NGC are the standard purchase route at all grade levels. Mid-grade Seated Dollar demand reflects the steady year-set acquisition pattern, with collectors pairing each Philadelphia date with the matched branch-mint issue where available and adding the proof companion for full-year coverage. For the 1853 Act context and the broader Seated Dollar production history, see the Seated Liberty Dollar series history.