1842 United States Cent Value
A 1842 United States Cent is worth roughly its melt value to well into four figures depending on its condition. Certified examples in top grades can run far higher.
Public domain image (struck or printed before 1926). Click to enlarge.
1842 United States Cent 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.
What is a 1842 United States Cent worth right now?
Pricing for the 1842 United States Cent depends on grade and current collector demand.
1842 United States Cent specifications
- Series
- United States Coinage
- Year
- 1842
- Mint mark
- None (Philadelphia)
- Mintage
- Not recorded
- Composition
- Copper
Why this coin has no mint mark
Philadelphia struck the 1842 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.
The value drivers behind this coin
Documented examples of the 1842 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.
Context adds the final layer to the 1842 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.
1842 United States Cent inscriptions & design
Obverse
************* 1842
Liberty Coronet Head, l.
Reverse
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA; ONE CENT
wreath
Measured 1842 United States Cent specimens
10 physically measured 1842 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.
| Specimen | Weight | Diameter | Die axis | References |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1842 United States Cent #1 | - | - | - | Newcomb.1842.1, Breen.1879 |
| 1842 United States Cent #2 | - | - | - | Breen.1880, Newcomb.1842.5 |
| 1842 United States Cent #3 | - | - | - | Newcomb.1842.2, Breen.1879 |
| 1842 United States Cent #4 | - | - | - | Newcomb.1842.2.2, Breen.1879 |
| 1842 United States Cent #5 | - | - | - | Breen.1880, Newcomb.1842.3 |
| 1842 United States Cent #6 | - | - | - | Breen.1880, Newcomb.1842.4 |
| 1842 United States Cent #7 | - | - | - | Breen.1880, Newcomb.1842.6 |
| 1842 United States Cent #8 | - | - | - | Breen.1880, Newcomb.1842.7 |
| 1842 United States Cent #9 | - | - | - | Breen.1880, Newcomb.1842.8 |
| 1842 United States Cent #10 | - | - | - | Breen.1880, Newcomb.1842.9 |
Specifications compiled from documented museum specimens. See our data & methodology page.