1855 United States 3 Dollar Value
A 1855 United States 3 Dollar is worth roughly $484 to $5,231 depending on its condition; the melt floor under every example is $484 (spot prices as of 2026-06-01) Exceptional, certified pieces regularly exceed the top of that range.
Public domain image (struck or printed before 1926). Click to enlarge.
Melt estimated at the US 0.900 gold standard.
1855 United States 3 Dollar value by grade
| Grade | Estimated value |
|---|---|
| Melt value floor(metal content, 2026-06-01) | $484.38 |
| Good (G-4) | $484 to $581 |
| Very Good (VG-8) | $484 to $599 |
| Fine (F-12) | $484 to $628 |
| Very Fine (VF-20) | $484 to $668 |
| Extremely Fine (XF-40) | $535 to $756 |
| About Uncirculated (AU-50) | $659 to $930 |
| Mint State (MS-60) | $906 to $1,279 |
| Choice Unc (MS-63) | $1,441 to $2,034 |
| Gem Unc (MS-65) | $3,705 to $5,231 |
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 1855 United States 3 Dollar worth today?
A 1855 United States 3 Dollar that spent decades in circulation is worth about $484 today. One that never circulated at all can bring up to $5,231. The honest answer for most inherited or pocket-found examples sits in the lower half of the table.
1855 United States 3 Dollar specifications
- Series
- United States Coinage
- Year
- 1855
- Mint mark
- None (Philadelphia)
- Mintage
- Not recorded
- Composition
- Gold
- Weight
- 4.997 g
- Diameter
- 20 mm
- Gold content
- 0.14459 troy oz
No mint mark? Here is why
Philadelphia struck the 1855 United States 3 Dollar, 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 1855 United States 3 Dollar
Each 1855 United States 3 Dollar holds 0.1446 troy ounces of gold, worth $484 at current spot prices. Gold content dominates the value of common dates and underwrites every numismatic premium above it.
Documented examples of the 1855 United States 3 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.
There is history in a 1855 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.
1855 United States 3 Dollar inscriptions & design
Obverse
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
Liberty l., bonnet
Reverse
3 DOLLARS (date)
value within wreath
Measured 1855 United States 3 Dollar specimens
2 physically measured 1855 United States 3 Dollar examples in our reference database. Real measured weights and die axes let you authenticate a coin against the 4.997 g, 20 mm minting standard.
| Specimen | Weight | Diameter | Die axis | References |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1855 United States 3 Dollar #1 | 4.998 g | 20 mm | - | Friedberg.USA.124, Breen.6350 |
| 1855 United States 3 Dollar #2 | 4.997 g | 20 mm | - | Friedberg.USA.127, Breen.6351 |
Specifications compiled from documented museum specimens. See our data & methodology page.
Summary: the 1855 United States 3 Dollar is valued between $484 and $5,231 as of 2026-06-13. Estimates combine mintage rarity, key-date status and metal content; they are editorial guidance, not an offer to buy.