Liberty Seated Quarter No Motto (1838 – 1853, 1856 - 1865) In 1838, the Mint’s use of steam powered presses was in full swing. Christian Gobrecht had redesigned the nation’s coinage and his Seated Liberty motif took over in the quarter denomination. Originally produced without the motto IN GOD WE TRUST, the quarters were produced for 15 years until the weights were adjusted. Then the no motto was again reintroduced after a brief three year hiatus when devices were added to designate the changes in weights. Gobrecht’s design was inspired by drawings by Thomas Sully and featured a portrait of Liberty seated on a rock with a shield. She held a staff with a pileus on top a symbol recognized by Gobrecht’s contemporaries as a statement of freedom. His iconic designs were used until Charles Barber's works replaced them in 1891.
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