1838 United States Dollar Value
A 1838 United States Dollar is worth roughly $28.20 to $305 depending on its condition; the melt floor under every example is $28.20 (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 silver standard.
1838 United States Dollar value by grade
| Grade | Estimated value |
|---|---|
| Melt value floor(metal content, 2026-06-01) | $28.20 |
| Good (G-4) | $28.20 to $33.84 |
| Very Good (VG-8) | $28.20 to $34.85 |
| Fine (F-12) | $28.20 to $36.55 |
| Very Fine (VF-20) | $28.20 to $38.91 |
| Extremely Fine (XF-40) | $31.16 to $43.99 |
| About Uncirculated (AU-50) | $38.35 to $54.14 |
| Mint State (MS-60) | $52.73 to $74.45 |
| Choice Unc (MS-63) | $83.89 to $118 |
| Gem Unc (MS-65) | $216 to $305 |
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 1838 United States Dollar worth today?
A 1838 United States Dollar that spent decades in circulation is worth about $28.20 today. One that never circulated at all can bring up to $305. The honest answer for most inherited or pocket-found examples sits in the lower half of the table.
1838 United States Dollar specifications
- Series
- United States Coinage
- Year
- 1838
- Mint mark
- None (Philadelphia)
- Mintage
- Not recorded
- Composition
- Silver
- Weight
- 26.7 g
- Diameter
- 39 mm
- Silver content
- 0.77258 troy oz
Why this coin has no mint mark
The 1838 United States 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 (check the usual position for this series), you are holding a Philadelphia issue.
Why the 1838 United States Dollar is worth money
A 1838 United States Dollar is real bullion as well as a collectible: 0.7726 troy ounces of fine silver, or about $28.20 of metal value in every example, regardless of condition.
Official mintage figures for the 1838 United States Dollar are not well established. The museum-documented specimens behind our specifications provide the physical reference points for the issue, and the market prices it on observed scarcity.
Documented United States coin types preserved in museum collections, with measured specifications for each date, denomination and mint. For the 1838 United States Dollar, the enduring popularity of the series translates directly into buyers in every grade and every market cycle.
1838 United States Dollar inscriptions & design
Obverse
seated figure of Liberty
Reverse
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA / ONE DOLLAR
large eagle flying left, surrounded by 26 stars
Measured 1838 United States Dollar specimens
8 physically measured 1838 United States Dollar examples in our reference database. Real measured weights and die axes let you authenticate a coin against the 26.7 g, 39 mm minting standard.
| Specimen | Weight | Diameter | Die axis | References |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1838 United States Dollar #1 | 26.7 g | 39 mm | - | Korein.14, Judd.88, Pollock.98 |
| 1838 United States Dollar #2 | 24.2 g | 39 mm | - | Korein.15, Judd.89, Pollock.99 |
| 1838 United States Dollar #3 | 26.7 g | 39 mm | - | Korein.20, Judd.84, Pollock.93 |
| 1838 United States Dollar #4 | 26.7 g | 39 mm | - | Korein.21, Judd.84, Pollock.93 |
| 1838 United States Dollar #5 | 26.7 g | 39 mm | - | Korein.22, Judd.85, Pollock.94 |
| 1838 United States Dollar #6 | 26.7 g | 39 mm | - | Korein.90, Judd.87 |
| 1838 United States Dollar #7 | - | 39 mm | - | Korein.16, Judd.84, Pollock.93 |
| 1838 United States Dollar #8 | - | 39 mm | - | Korein.19, Judd.84, Pollock.93 |
Specifications compiled from documented museum specimens. See our data & methodology page.
Summary: the 1838 United States Dollar is valued between $28.20 and $305 as of 2026-06-15. Estimates combine mintage rarity, key-date status and metal content; they are editorial guidance, not an offer to buy.