1840 United States Cent Value

A 1840 United States Cent is worth roughly its melt value to well into four figures depending on its condition. Exceptional, certified pieces regularly exceed the top of that range.

Public domain image (struck or printed before 1926). Click to enlarge.

1840 United States Cent value by grade

1840 United States Cent value by grade
GradeEstimated 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.

What is a 1840 United States Cent worth right now?

Pricing for the 1840 United States Cent depends on grade and current collector demand.

1840 United States Cent specifications

Series
United States Coinage
Year
1840
Mint mark
None (Philadelphia)
Mintage
Not recorded
Composition
Copper

No mint mark? Here is why

Philadelphia struck the 1840 United States Cent, and Philadelphia coins of this period carry no mint mark at all. An empty space at the usual mint mark position (see the series guide) confirms a Philadelphia strike, not a flaw.

What collectors pay for in a 1840 United States Cent

Context adds the final layer to the 1840 United States Cent. Documented United States coin types preserved in museum collections, with measured specifications for each date, denomination and mint. Owning this date means owning a piece of that story, and demand for the series as a whole sustains liquidity for every issue in it.

Documented examples of the 1840 United States Cent in our reference database anchor what we know about this issue. Mintage records are incomplete, so collector demand and surviving population drive its market.

1840 United States Cent inscriptions & design

Obverse

************* 1840

Liberty Coronet Head, l.

Reverse

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA; ONE CENT

wreath

Measured 1840 United States Cent specimens

12 physically measured 1840 United States Cent examples in our reference database. Real measured weights and die axes let you authenticate a coin against the g, mm minting standard.

Measured 1840 United States Cent specimens
SpecimenWeightDiameterDie axisReferences
1840 United States Cent #1----
1840 United States Cent #2---Breen.1875, Newcomb.1840.8
1840 United States Cent #3---Breen.1875, Newcomb.1840.9
1840 United States Cent #4---Newcomb.1840.1, Breen.1876
1840 United States Cent #5---Newcomb.1840.2, Breen.1877
1840 United States Cent #6---Newcomb.1840.3, Breen.1876
1840 United States Cent #7---Newcomb.1840.4, Breen.1876
1840 United States Cent #8---Breen.1875, Newcomb.1840.5
1840 United States Cent #9---Breen.1875, Newcomb.1840.6
1840 United States Cent #10---Breen.1875, Newcomb.1840.7
1840 United States Cent #11---Breen.1875, Newcomb.1840.8
1840 United States Cent #12---Breen.1875, Newcomb.1840.9.1

Specifications compiled from documented museum specimens. See our data & methodology page.