1874 Trade Dollar Value
A 1874 Trade Dollar is worth roughly $29.50 to $287 depending on its condition, and its metal content alone is worth $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.
1874 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.
What is a 1874 Trade Dollar worth right now?
At the entry level, well-worn examples bring about $29.50. The same coin in gem uncirculated condition is a $287 coin. Grade is everything: two examples of the 1874 Trade Dollar can differ in price by an order of magnitude based purely on preservation.
1874 Trade Dollar specifications
- Series
- Trade Dollar
- Year
- 1874
- 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
Why this coin has no mint mark
The 1874 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.
Why the 1874 Trade Dollar is worth money
The 90% silver composition gives a 1874 Trade Dollar 0.7874 oz of precious metal ($28.74 at current spot). Bullion demand alone supports the bottom of its price range.
Documented examples of the 1874 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.
The series itself does some of the lifting for the 1874 Trade Dollar: Chopmarked pieces, once shunned, are now collected as artifacts of the China trade in their own right. Broad, multigenerational demand for the design gives every date, including this one, a deep and liquid market.
1874 Trade Dollar inscriptions & design
Obverse
********** 1874
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 1874 Trade Dollar specimens
1 physically measured 1874 Trade Dollar example 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1874 Trade Dollar #1 | 27.244 g | 38 mm | 6 h | Breen.5782 |
Specifications compiled from documented museum specimens. See our data & methodology page.
Summary: the 1874 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.