1856-O

New Orleans struck 968,000 quarters in 1856, the first New Orleans Seated quarter without arrows at the date since 1852. The 6.22 gram weight standard from the Coinage Act of February 21, 1853 remained in effect, but the arrow-marker symbols came off the obverse and the open-field reverse continued in its 1854 form without rays around the eagle. The result is a clean, standard Seated design carrying the O mintmark below the eagle, returning the New Orleans branch to the same visual template it had worked between 1840 and the 1853 Coinage Act redesign. The 968,000 figure is solid for the year and reflects steady regional bullion supply rather than any extraordinary demand.

Strike characteristics follow the New Orleans pattern of the decade: passable on fresh dies, soft on the head and the central shield as dies aged through their runs, and visibly weak at the rim flow on late strikes. The O mintmark sits below the eagle in the standard punch size used for normal 1856 production; no oversized variant is currently recognized on this date. Authentication is straightforward at the type level: no arrows at the date, no rays on the reverse, and the standard O mintmark confirm the issue. Population data from PCGS and NGC clusters in VG through VF, with XF and AU coins meaningfully scarcer and Mint State examples genuinely difficult to find. Certified MS63 and higher pieces are condition rarities that turn up rarely enough to set their own price points when offered.

The coin carries the Regular classification and works as a standard New Orleans date-set entry, with VF and XF circulated examples plentiful enough to give collectors choice on surfaces. Original gray toning beats dipped white surfaces every time on this issue, and mid-grade collectors should accept eye appeal over a marginal numerical bump. Buy certified by PCGS or NGC for any Mint State purchase, and treat the 1856-O as a steady supply slot rather than a condition-rarity pursuit. The 1856-S of the same year carries the Semi-Key designation and is the harder New Orleans-era sister for a full year-set. For the broader story of Gobrecht's design, the 1853 Coinage Act and Arrows transition, and the series' production arc, see the Seated Liberty Quarter series history.