1873 Arrows

The 1873 Arrows is the second half of the split-year Philadelphia quarter production, struck after the Coinage Act of February 12, 1873 raised the legal weight standard from 6.22 grams to 6.25 grams. The Mint added arrows on either side of the date to mark the new heavier planchet, the same diagnostic device used in the 1853 transition but without the rays around the eagle this time. The combined 1873 Philadelphia mintage of 1,271,700 covers both the pre-Arrows Closed 3 production and the post-Act Arrows coins. The Arrows subtype runs only across 1873 and 1874, making this a two-year design variation within the longer With Motto era of the series.

Authentication for the 1873 Arrows centers on the date area, where arrowheads must be visible on both sides of the four-digit year. Compare the planchet weight on borderline cases: legitimate 1873 Arrows pieces hit 6.25 grams within normal tolerance, while altered No Arrows coins with added tooling rarely fall within the correct weight band. Strike quality on the Arrows issue varies; some pieces show full crisp arrowheads and clean date detail, while others come from worn dies with partial arrow definition that can complicate grading. The Coinage Act of February 12, 1873 demonetized standard silver beyond the trade dollar, and the small weight increase on subsidiary coinage was designed to distinguish the new legal-tender silver coins from the older lighter pieces still circulating.

For collectors, the 1873 Arrows is the obvious type coin for the 1873-1874 Arrows With Motto subtype, available in problem-free circulated grades at modest prices and in Mint State at meaningful but reasonable premiums. The two-year window of the design and the historical anchor of the Coinage Act of 1873 make this a popular acquisition for type-set builders working through Seated Liberty subtypes. Series specialists target the No Arrows / Arrows pair as the defining 1873 acquisition project. Prices have appreciated steadily over the past decade across all grade bands, particularly at the gem Mint State level where condition rarity drives the upside. For the broader story of Gobrecht's design, the 1873 Coinage Act, and the series' production arc, see the Seated Liberty Quarter series history.