1873 Trade Dollar Value
A 1873 Trade Dollar is worth roughly $29.50 to $287 depending on its condition, while the raw metal inside it is valued at $28.74 as of 2026-06-01 Certified examples in top grades can run far higher.
Public domain image (struck or printed before 1926). Click to enlarge.
1873 Trade Dollar value by grade
| Grade | Estimated value |
|---|---|
| Melt value floor(metal content, 2026-06-01) | $28.74 |
| Good (G-4) | $29.50 to $39.00 |
| Very Good (VG-8) | $29.50 to $40.00 |
| Fine (F-12) | $29.50 to $42.50 |
| Very Fine (VF-20) | $31.50 to $46.00 |
| Extremely Fine (XF-40) | $35.50 to $52.00 |
| About Uncirculated (AU-50) | $43.00 to $63.00 |
| Mint State (MS-60) | $53.50 to $79.00 |
| Choice Unc (MS-63) | $73.50 to $108 |
| Gem Unc (MS-65) | $195 to $287 |
Estimated retail range, updated 2026-06-15. Estimates are modeled from mintage rarity and metal content, not auction records. Actual sale prices vary with certification, eye appeal and market timing.
How much is a 1873 Trade Dollar worth today?
Start with $29.50 for a heavily circulated 1873 Trade Dollar and work upward. Lightly circulated 1873 examples occupy the middle of the range, while true gems approach $287. If your coin has no wear on the high points, it deserves a closer look or a professional opinion.
1873 Trade Dollar specifications
- Series
- Trade Dollar
- Year
- 1873
- Mint mark
- None (Philadelphia)
- Mintage
- Not recorded
- Composition
- 90% silver, 10% copper
- Weight
- 27.22 g
- Diameter
- 38.1 mm
- Edge
- Reeded
- Designer
- William Barber
- Silver content
- 0.78740 troy oz
No mint mark? Here is why
The 1873 Trade Dollar was struck at the Philadelphia Mint, which used no mint mark in this era. If you find no letter where branch-mint coins carry one (On the reverse, below the eagle above the D in DOLLAR), you are holding a Philadelphia issue.
Where this coin's value comes from
Documented examples of the 1873 Trade Dollar in our reference database anchor what we know about this issue. Mintage records are incomplete, so collector demand and surviving population drive its market.
Silver content matters for the 1873 Trade Dollar: 0.7874 oz per coin, valued at $28.74 right now. The melt floor moves daily with the metals market and sets the minimum any dealer will pay.
There is history in a 1873 Trade Dollar as well. Millions crossed the Pacific, where merchants stamped them with 'chopmarks' attesting to their silver. That backdrop keeps the series among the most actively collected in American numismatics.
1873 Trade Dollar inscriptions & design
Obverse
********** 1873
Liberty seated, laurel in r. hand, bunch of wheat behind
Reverse
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA/420 GRAINS. 900 FINE./TRADE DOLLAR
eagle head r., wings open, standing. on arrows and laurel sprig
Measured 1873 Trade Dollar specimens
11 physically measured 1873 Trade Dollar examples in our reference database. Real measured weights and die axes let you authenticate a coin against the 27.22 g, 38.1 mm minting standard.
| Specimen | Weight | Diameter | Die axis | References |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1873 Trade Dollar #1 | 27.21 g | 38 mm | 6 h | Judd.1281, Adams.Woodin.1303, Pollock.1423 |
| 1873 Trade Dollar #2 | 27.2 g | 38 mm | 6 h | Judd.1293, Adams.Woodin.1318, Pollock.1436 |
| 1873 Trade Dollar #3 | 27.21 g | 38 mm | 6 h | Judd.1322, Adams.Woodin.1308, Pollock.1465 |
| 1873 Trade Dollar #4 | 27.215 g | 39 mm | 6 h | Breen.5778 |
| 1873 Trade Dollar #5 | 27.2 g | 38 mm | 6 h | Judd.1315, Adams.Woodin.1313, Pollock.1458 |
| 1873 Trade Dollar #6 | 27.2 g | 38 mm | 6 h | Judd.1276, Adams.Woodin.1298, Pollock.1418 |
| 1873 Trade Dollar #7 | 27.22 g | 38 mm | 6 h | Judd.1276, Adams.Woodin.1298, Pollock.1418 |
| 1873 Trade Dollar #8 | 27.22 g | 38 mm | 6 h | Judd.1281, Adams.Woodin.1303, Pollock.1423 |
| 1873 Trade Dollar #9 | 27.2 g | 38 mm | 6 h | Judd.1310, Adams.Woodin.1324, Pollock.1453 |
| 1873 Trade Dollar #10 | 27.22 g | 38 mm | 6 h | Judd.1322, Adams.Woodin.1308, Pollock.1465 |
| 1873 Trade Dollar #11 | 27.231 g | 38 mm | 6 h | Breen.5778 |
Specifications compiled from documented museum specimens. See our data & methodology page.
Summary: the 1873 Trade Dollar is valued between $29.50 and $287 as of 2026-06-15. Estimates combine mintage rarity, key-date status and metal content; they are editorial guidance, not an offer to buy.