1857 United States Dollar Value
A 1857 United States Dollar is worth roughly $116 to $1,256 depending on its condition. Its intrinsic melt value stands at $116 based on spot prices from 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 gold standard.
1857 United States Dollar value by grade
| Grade | Estimated value |
|---|---|
| Melt value floor(metal content, 2026-06-01) | $116.31 |
| Good (G-4) | $116 to $140 |
| Very Good (VG-8) | $116 to $144 |
| Fine (F-12) | $116 to $151 |
| Very Fine (VF-20) | $116 to $161 |
| Extremely Fine (XF-40) | $129 to $181 |
| About Uncirculated (AU-50) | $158 to $223 |
| Mint State (MS-60) | $218 to $307 |
| Choice Unc (MS-63) | $346 to $489 |
| Gem Unc (MS-65) | $890 to $1,256 |
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 1857 United States Dollar worth today?
Figure roughly $116 as the realistic floor for a damage-free, well-worn 1857 United States Dollar, rising steadily through the grades to about $1,256 for a certified gem. Cleaned or damaged coins trade below these figures, though never below the $116 melt floor.
1857 United States Dollar specifications
- Series
- United States Coinage
- Year
- 1857
- Mint mark
- None (Philadelphia)
- Mintage
- Not recorded
- Composition
- Gold
- Weight
- 1.2 g
- Diameter
- 14.75 mm
- Gold content
- 0.03472 troy oz
Why this coin has no mint mark
The 1857 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.
Where this coin's value comes from
Official mintage figures for the 1857 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.
With 0.0347 oz of fine gold inside ($116 of metal at today's prices), a 1857 United States Dollar can never trade below its bullion value, and rarer dates stack collector premiums on top.
The series itself does some of the lifting for the 1857 United States Dollar: Documented United States coin types preserved in museum collections, with measured specifications for each date, denomination and mint. Broad, multigenerational demand for the design gives every date, including this one, a deep and liquid market.
1857 United States Dollar inscriptions & design
Obverse
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
head of Liberty l. wearing bonnet
Reverse
1 / DOLLAR/ 1857 in 3 lines
wreath of corn stalks, value within
Measured 1857 United States Dollar specimens
6 physically measured 1857 United States Dollar examples in our reference database. Real measured weights and die axes let you authenticate a coin against the 1.2 g, 14.75 mm minting standard.
| Specimen | Weight | Diameter | Die axis | References |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1857 United States Dollar #1 | 1.666 g | 15 mm | - | Friedberg.USA.94, Breen.6050 |
| 1857 United States Dollar #2 | 1.673 g | 15 mm | - | Friedberg.USA.94, Breen.6050 |
| 1857 United States Dollar #3 | - | - | - | Osburn-Cushing.P1, Breen.5455 |
| 1857 United States Dollar #4 | 1.05 g | 14.75 mm | - | Friedberg.USA.94 (fake), Breen.6050 (fake) |
| 1857 United States Dollar #5 | 1.12 g | 14.75 mm | - | Friedberg.USA.94 (fake), Breen.6050 (fake) |
| 1857 United States Dollar #6 | 1.2 g | 13 mm | 6 h | - |
Specifications compiled from documented museum specimens. See our data & methodology page.
Summary: the 1857 United States Dollar is valued between $116 and $1,256 as of 2026-06-13. Estimates combine mintage rarity, key-date status and metal content; they are editorial guidance, not an offer to buy.