1873-S Arrows

The 1873-S Arrows is the only San Francisco quarter for 1873 and was struck after the Coinage Act of February 12, 1873 raised the legal weight standard. No 1873-S No Arrows pieces were produced; the entire S-mint output for the year falls under the Arrows subtype on the new 6.25 gram planchet. The reported mintage of 156,000 represents a modest production figure for San Francisco, well below the 1873 Philadelphia combined total but well above the tiny 4,000-piece CC production. The coin shows arrowheads on either side of the date alongside the standard 1866 through 1873 With Motto design, with the IN GOD WE TRUST banner above Christian Gobrecht's seated figure of Liberty and the heraldic eagle reverse, with the S mintmark below the eagle.

Survivors concentrate in lower circulated grades, where the bulk of the 1873-S Arrows population today falls in Very Good through Very Fine. Strike quality is variable; some pieces show full crisp arrowhead detail while others come from worn dies with partial arrow definition that affects grading at the Extremely Fine and About Uncirculated levels. Mint State examples are scarce, and gem coins with full original luster are condition rarities that command real premiums. Authentication is generally straightforward for this date, with no notable counterfeit threat for the S mintmarked Arrows issue and only standard die-marker verification needed at the certified level. The Arrows subtype runs only across 1873 and 1874, giving this date a two-year window of design relevance.

For collectors, the 1873-S Arrows is the affordable San Francisco entry into the Arrows With Motto subtype, more available than the CC keys of the same year and meaningfully scarcer than the Philadelphia 1873 Arrows production. Type collectors building the 1873-1874 Arrows With Motto set sometimes target the S mint piece for variety within the subtype, while series specialists work toward the full date and mint run. Prices have held steady over the past decade in circulated grades and risen modestly at the gem Mint State level, the typical pattern for mid-tier San Francisco silver. For the broader story of Gobrecht's design, the 1873 Coinage Act, and the series' production arc, see the Seated Liberty Quarter series history.