1840 United States Coin Value
Depending on how well it survived, a 1840 United States Coin brings anywhere from $2.52 to $27.26, while the raw metal inside it is valued at $2.52 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.
1840 United States Coin value by grade
| Grade | Estimated value |
|---|---|
| Melt value floor(metal content, 2026-06-01) | $2.52 |
| Good (G-4) | $2.52 to $3.03 |
| Very Good (VG-8) | $2.52 to $3.12 |
| Fine (F-12) | $2.52 to $3.27 |
| Very Fine (VF-20) | $2.52 to $3.48 |
| Extremely Fine (XF-40) | $2.79 to $3.94 |
| About Uncirculated (AU-50) | $3.43 to $4.85 |
| Mint State (MS-60) | $4.72 to $6.66 |
| Choice Unc (MS-63) | $7.51 to $10.60 |
| Gem Unc (MS-65) | $19.31 to $27.26 |
Estimated retail range, updated 2026-06-13. 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 1840 United States Coin worth today?
A 1840 United States Coin that spent decades in circulation is worth about $2.52 today. One that never circulated at all can bring up to $27.26. The honest answer for most inherited or pocket-found examples sits in the lower half of the table.
1840 United States Coin specifications
- Series
- United States Coinage
- Year
- 1840
- Mint mark
- None (Philadelphia)
- Mintage
- Not recorded
- Composition
- Silver
- Weight
- 2.39 g
- Diameter
- 16 mm
- Silver content
- 0.06916 troy oz
No mint mark? Here is why
The 1840 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.
What collectors pay for in a 1840 United States Coin
A 1840 United States Coin is real bullion as well as a collectible: 0.0692 troy ounces of fine silver, or about $2.52 of metal value in every example, regardless of condition.
Documented examples of the 1840 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 1840 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.
1840 United States Coin inscriptions & design
Obverse
LIBERTY (on shield) / (date)
Liberty seated, with shield and liberty cap on pole, surrounded by 13 stars
Reverse
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA / HALF / DIME
Laurel wreath
Measured 1840 United States Coin specimens
12 physically measured 1840 United States Coin examples in our reference database. Real measured weights and die axes let you authenticate a coin against the 2.39 g, 16 mm minting standard.
| Specimen | Weight | Diameter | Die axis | References |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1840 United States Coin #1 | 1.368 g | 16 mm | 6 h | - |
| 1840 United States Coin #2 | 2.623 g | 18 mm | 6 h | Breen.Encyclopedia.3228, Breen.2, Ahwash.2 |
| 1840 United States Coin #3 | - | - | - | Valentine.1840.7 |
| 1840 United States Coin #4 | - | - | - | Valentine.1840.1 |
| 1840 United States Coin #5 | - | - | - | - |
| 1840 United States Coin #6 | - | - | - | - |
| 1840 United States Coin #7 | - | - | - | Valentine.1840.3 |
| 1840 United States Coin #8 | - | - | - | Valentine.1840.2 |
| 1840 United States Coin #9 | - | - | - | Valentine.1840.5 |
| 1840 United States Coin #10 | - | - | - | Valentine.1840.3 |
| 1840 United States Coin #11 | - | - | - | Valentine.1840.3 |
| 1840 United States Coin #12 | - | - | - | Valentine.1840.x |
Specifications compiled from documented museum specimens. See our data & methodology page.
Summary: the 1840 United States Coin is valued between $2.52 and $27.26 as of 2026-06-13. Estimates combine mintage rarity, key-date status and metal content; they are editorial guidance, not an offer to buy.