I am trying to import coding sequences from biomaRt using the following code (simplified example):

cds_seq = getSequence(id = "NM_004974", 
                      type = "refseq_mrna", 
                      seqType = "coding", 
                      mart = ensembl)

...and getting this output...

Error in biomaRt::getBM(attributes = c("hgnc_symbol", "ensembl_gene_id",  : 
  Invalid attribute(s): coding 
Please use the function 'listAttributes' to get valid attribute names

I ran the same code ~2 years ago and it worked fine. I've explored other Attributes via the "listAttributes()" function to see if the attribute name for coding sequence has been updated but I can't see to find anything close.

Note that I'm using an archived version of ensembl and wish to keep it that way so the code output doesn't change if any of the sequences of interest have been updated in newer versions. Not sure if this is relevant. Here's the command I used to import ensembl:

ensembl <- useEnsembl(biomart="ensembl", 
                      dataset="hsapiens_gene_ensembl", 
                      host="https://feb2014.archive.ensembl.org")

Please advise, and thank you!

It's my understanding that the archived Biomart data are not complete, which is likely why you cannot get sequences. But you apparently just want sequences based on GRCh37, for which there is a complete archive.

> ensembl <- useEnsembl(biomart="ensembl", 
                      dataset="hsapiens_gene_ensembl", 
                      host="https://grch37.ensembl.org")
> cds_seq = getSequence(id = "NM_004974", 
                      type = "refseq_mrna", 
                      seqType = "coding", 
                      mart = ensembl)
. + > cds_seq
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        coding
1 ATGACAGTGGCCACCGGAGACCCAGCAGACGAGGCTGCTGCCCTCCCTGGGCACCCACAGGACACCTATGACCCAGAGGCAGACCACGAGTGCTGTGAGAGGGTGGTGATCAACATCTCAGGGCTGCGGTTTGAGACCCAGCTAAAGACCTTAGCCCAGTTTCCAGAGACCCTCTTAGGGGACCCAAAGAAACGAATGAGGTACTTTGACCCCCTCCGAAATGAGTACTTTTTCGATCGGAACCGCCCTAGCTTTGATGCCATTTTGTACTACTACCAGTCAGGGGGCCGATTGAGGCGACCTGTGAATGTGCCCTTAGATATATTCTCTGAAGAAATTCGGTTTTATGAGCTGGGAGAAGAAGCGATGGAGATGTTTCGGGAAGATGAAGGCTACATCAAGGAGGAAGAGCGTCCTCTGCCTGAAAATGAGTTTCAGAGACAAGTGTGGCTTCTCTTTGAATACCCAGAGAGCTCAGGGCCTGCCAGGATTATAGCTATTGTGTCTGTCATGGTGATTCTGATCTCAATTGTCAGCTTCTGTCTGGAAACATTGCCCATCTTCCGGGATGAGAATGAAGACATGCATGGTAGTGGGGTGACCTTCCACACCTATTCCAACAGCACCATCGGGTACCAGCAGTCCACTTCCTTCACAGACCCTTTCTTCATTGTAGAGACACTCTGCATCATCTGGTTCTCCTTTGAATTCTTGGTGAGGTTCTTTGCCTGTCCCAGCAAAGCCGGCTTCTTCACCAACATCATGAACATCATTGACATTGTGGCCATCATCCCCTACTTCATCACCCTGGGGACAGAGTTGGCTGAGAAGCCAGAGGACGCTCAGCAAGGCCAGCAGGCCATGTCACTGGCCATCCTCCGTGTCATCCGGTTGGTAAGAGTCTTTAGGATTTTCAAGTTGTCCAGACACTCCAAAGGTCTCCAGATTCTAGGTCAGACCCTCAAAGCCAGCATGAGAGAATTGGGCCTCCTGATATTCTTTCTCTTCATAGGGGTCATCCTTTTCTCTAGTGCTGTGTATTTTGCAGAGGCCGATGAGCGAGAGTCCCAGTTCCCCAGCATCCCAGATGCCTTCTGGTGGGCAGTCGTCTCCATGACAACTGTAGGCTATGGAGACATGGTTCCGACTACCATTGGGGGAAAGATAGTGGGTTCCCTATGTGCGATTGCAGGTGTGTTAACTATTGCCTTACCGGTCCCTGTCATTGTGTCCAATTTCAACTACTTCTACCACCGGGAGACAGAGGGAGAGGAACAGGCCCAATACTTGCAAGTGACAAGCTGTCCAAAGATCCCATCCTCCCCTGACCTAAAGAAAAGTAGAAGTGCCTCTACCATTAGTAAGTCTGATTACATGGAGATCCAGGAGGGTGTAAATAACAGTAATGAGGACTTTAGAGAGGAAAACTTGAAAACAGCCAACTGTACCTTGGCTAACACAAACTATGTGAATATTACCAAAATGTTAACTGATGTCTGA
2                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              ATGACAGTGGCCACCGGAGACCCAGCAGACGAGGCTGCTGCCCTCCCTGGGCACCCACAGGACACCTATGACCCAGAGGCAGACCACGAGTGCTGTGAGAGGGTGGTGATCAACATCTCAGGGCTGCGGTTTGAGACCCAGCTAAAGACCTTAGCCCAGTTTCCAGAGACCCTCTTAGGGGACCCAAAGAAACGAATGAGGTACTTTGACCCCCTCCGAAATGAGTACTTTTTCGATCGGAACCGCCCTAGCTTTGATGCCATTTTGTACTACTACCAGTCAGGGGGCCGATTGAGGCGACCTGTGAATGTGCCCTTAGATATATTCTCTGAAGAAATTCGGTTTTATGAGCTGGGAGAAGAAGCGATGGAGATGTTTCGGGAAGATGAAGGCTACATCAAGGAGGAAGAGCGTCCTCTGCCTGAAAATGAGTTTCAGAGACAAGTGTGGCTTCTCTTTGAATACCCAGAGAGCTCAGGGCCTGCCAGGATTATAGCTATTGTGTCTGTCATGGTGATTCTGATCTCAATTGTCAGCTTCTGTCTGGAAACATTGCCCATCTTCCGGGATGAGAATGAAGACATGCATGGTAGTGGGGTGACCTTCCACACCTATTCCAACAGCACCATCGGGTACCAGCAGTCCACTTCCTTCACAGACCCTTTCTTCATTGTAGAGACACTCTGCATCATCTGGTTCTCCTTTGAATTCTTGGTGAGGTTCTTTGCCTGTCCCAGCAAAGCCGGCTTCTTCACCAACATCATGAACATCATTGACATTGTGGCCATCATCCCCTACTTCATCACCCTGGGGACAGAGTTGGCTGAGAAGCCAGAGGACGCTCAGCAAGGCCAGCAGGCCATGTCACTGGCCATCCTCCGTGTCATCCGGTTGGAACGCAGACCTCTGCAAAGCCAGAAGAGTAAGCGGGGAAGGCAGCATCTGAACACCTCACATGACTGCACCTTAGGAATTAACCTAGTCGCGGGCATGACTGTACAGTGGACCAGGGCATCTGGTCCTGATGACAGGCAGACACCAGCTGTAACTACATTGCACAGGATGTATTGA
3                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         Sequence unavailable
  refseq_mrna
1   NM_004974
2   NM_004974
3   NM_004974

I'll echo James' suggestion to use the GRCh37 mirror. Most mirrors only have a guaranteed lifetime of 5 years from Ensembl, although it seems some are kept around for longer.

I also see the same error if I create the query in the BioMart web interface, meaning this isn't something that you'll be able to work around with biomaRt. I can't say why this might have changed, but I'd recommend contacting the Ensembl team directly if you think there's an issue with the service.