1838-C United States 5 Dollar Value
A 1838-C United States 5 Dollar is worth roughly $803 to $8,675 depending on its condition; the melt floor under every example is $803 (spot prices 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.
Melt estimated at the US 0.900 gold standard.
1838-C United States 5 Dollar value by grade
| Grade | Estimated value |
|---|---|
| Melt value floor(metal content, 2026-06-01) | $803.20 |
| Good (G-4) | $803 to $964 |
| Very Good (VG-8) | $803 to $993 |
| Fine (F-12) | $803 to $1,041 |
| Very Fine (VF-20) | $803 to $1,108 |
| Extremely Fine (XF-40) | $888 to $1,253 |
| About Uncirculated (AU-50) | $1,092 to $1,542 |
| Mint State (MS-60) | $1,502 to $2,120 |
| Choice Unc (MS-63) | $2,390 to $3,373 |
| Gem Unc (MS-65) | $6,144 to $8,675 |
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 1838-C United States 5 Dollar worth right now?
A 1838-C United States 5 Dollar that spent decades in circulation is worth about $803 today. One that never circulated at all can bring up to $8,675. The honest answer for most inherited or pocket-found examples sits in the lower half of the table.
1838-C United States 5 Dollar specifications
- Series
- United States Coinage
- Year
- 1838
- Mint mark
- C
- Mintage
- Not recorded
- Composition
- Gold
- Weight
- 8.286 g
- Diameter
- 22.29 mm
- Gold content
- 0.23976 troy oz
Identifying the Charlotte mint mark
Charlotte's "C" is the letter that defines the 1838-C United States 5 Dollar. On heavily circulated coins the mark wears down with everything else, so check carefully before assuming a Philadelphia strike.
The value drivers behind this coin
Documented examples of the 1838-C United States 5 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.
Each 1838-C United States 5 Dollar holds 0.2398 troy ounces of gold, worth $803 at current spot prices. Gold content dominates the value of common dates and underwrites every numismatic premium above it.
Few series carry the following that supports the 1838-C United States 5 Dollar. Documented United States coin types preserved in museum collections, with measured specifications for each date, denomination and mint. A coin that thousands of collectors are actively assembling into sets never lacks for a market.
1838-C United States 5 Dollar inscriptions & design
Obverse
LIBERTY / C/ 1838
Liberty bust left surrounded by 13 stars
Reverse
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA / 5 D.
Heraldic eagle
Measured 1838-C United States 5 Dollar specimens
1 physically measured 1838-C United States 5 Dollar example in our reference database. Real measured weights and die axes let you authenticate a coin against the 8.286 g, 22.29 mm minting standard.
| Specimen | Weight | Diameter | Die axis | References |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1838-C United States 5 Dollar #1 | 8.286 g | 22.29 mm | 6 h | Friedberg.USA.136, Breen.6516 |
Specifications compiled from documented museum specimens. See our data & methodology page.
Summary: the 1838-C United States 5 Dollar is valued between $803 and $8,675 as of 2026-06-15. Estimates combine mintage rarity, key-date status and metal content; they are editorial guidance, not an offer to buy.