1874 Arrows

The 1874 Arrows is the final year of the Arrows With Motto subtype, struck at Philadelphia in a reported mintage of 471,900 pieces. The arrows beside the date continued through 1874 to mark the 6.25 gram planchet weight established by the Coinage Act of February 12, 1873, after which the Mint removed the arrows entirely and the quarter resumed its standard With Motto form for the rest of the series through 1891. The design follows the standard form with the IN GOD WE TRUST banner above Christian Gobrecht's seated figure of Liberty and the heraldic eagle reverse. The 1874 production at Philadelphia was meaningfully smaller than the 1873 Arrows total but spans the full year rather than the partial-year window the 1873 Arrows occupied.

Authentication centers on the date area, where arrowheads must be visible on both sides of the four-digit year. Strike quality is generally clean for this date, with most surviving coins showing crisp arrow detail and well-defined Liberty features. Surviving 1874 Arrows quarters span a broad grade range, with the bulk of the supply falling in Very Fine through About Uncirculated and a reasonable supply of Mint State coins concentrated at MS62 through MS64. Gem examples above MS65 with original luster are condition rarities that command meaningful premiums over typical Mint State pricing. The S mint also produced an Arrows piece in 1874, making this the only year of the subtype with both Philadelphia and San Francisco production at meaningful mintage levels.

For collectors, the 1874 Arrows is the obvious Philadelphia type coin for the 1873-1874 Arrows With Motto subtype, more readily available than the 1873 Arrows in higher grades and priced at moderate four-figure levels in About Uncirculated. Type-set builders working through Seated Liberty subtypes typically choose between the 1873 Arrows and 1874 Arrows based on which examples are available in their target grade at the time of purchase. Series specialists treat the 1874 Arrows as the closing piece of the two-year Arrows window before the design returns to standard form in 1875. Prices have appreciated steadily over the past decade, particularly at the gem Mint State level. For the broader story of Gobrecht's design, the 1873 Coinage Act, and the series' production arc, see the Seated Liberty Quarter series history.