1789 United States Coin Value
Depending on how well it survived, a 1789 United States Coin brings anywhere from its melt value to well into four figures. Certified examples in top grades can run far higher.
Public domain image (struck or printed before 1926). Click to enlarge.
1789 United States Coin value by grade
| Grade | Estimated value |
|---|
Estimated retail range. 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 1789 United States Coin worth today?
Pricing for the 1789 United States Coin depends on grade and current collector demand.
1789 United States Coin specifications
- Series
- United States Coinage
- Year
- 1789
- Mint mark
- None (Philadelphia)
- Mintage
- Not recorded
- Weight
- 68.31 g
Why this coin has no mint mark
The 1789 United States Coin 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 (check the usual position for this series), you are holding a Philadelphia issue.
Why the 1789 United States Coin is worth money
Documented examples of the 1789 United States Coin in our reference database anchor what we know about this issue. Mintage records are incomplete, so collector demand and surviving population drive its market.
There is history in a 1789 United States Coinage as well. Documented United States coin types preserved in museum collections, with measured specifications for each date, denomination and mint. That backdrop keeps the series among the most actively collected in American numismatics.
1789 United States Coin inscriptions & design
Obverse
G. WASHINGTON PRESIDENT/ 1789
Male Native American standing to l. next to male European on r.; facing each other.
Reverse
THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
Eagle, spread wings and shield on breast; holding 15 arrows and laurel branch in claws; with 13 stars above framed by 18 circles transmitting rays.
Measured 1789 United States Coin specimens
1 physically measured 1789 United States Coin example in our reference database. Real measured weights and die axes let you authenticate a coin against the 68.31 g, mm minting standard.
| Specimen | Weight | Diameter | Die axis | References |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1789 United States Coin #1 | 68.31 g | - | 12 h | - |
Specifications compiled from documented museum specimens. See our data & methodology page.