1859 United States 1/4 Dollar Value
Today a 1859 United States 1/4 Dollar typically sells for $23.25 to $251, with condition doing most of the work, and its metal content alone is worth $23.25 as of 2026-06-01 The figures below break the range down grade by grade.
Public domain image (struck or printed before 1926). Click to enlarge.
Melt estimated at the US 0.900 gold standard.
1859 United States 1/4 Dollar value by grade
| Grade | Estimated value |
|---|---|
| Melt value floor(metal content, 2026-06-01) | $23.25 |
| Good (G-4) | $23.25 to $27.90 |
| Very Good (VG-8) | $23.25 to $28.74 |
| Fine (F-12) | $23.25 to $30.13 |
| Very Fine (VF-20) | $23.25 to $32.08 |
| Extremely Fine (XF-40) | $25.69 to $36.27 |
| About Uncirculated (AU-50) | $31.62 to $44.64 |
| Mint State (MS-60) | $43.48 to $61.38 |
| Choice Unc (MS-63) | $69.17 to $97.65 |
| Gem Unc (MS-65) | $178 to $251 |
Estimated retail range, updated 2026-06-15. Estimates are modeled from mintage rarity and metal content, not auction records. Actual sale prices vary with certification, eye appeal and market timing.
Today's value of the 1859 United States 1/4 Dollar
In worn but collectible condition (Good-4), a 1859 United States 1/4 Dollar starts around $23.25. From there, value climbs with every grade step: a gem Mint State example (MS-65) can reach $251. Most coins found in old collections fall somewhere between Very Fine and About Uncirculated, the middle rows of the table above.
1859 United States 1/4 Dollar specifications
- Series
- United States Coinage
- Year
- 1859
- Mint mark
- None (Philadelphia)
- Mintage
- Not recorded
- Composition
- Gold
- Weight
- 0.24 g
- Diameter
- 9 mm
- Gold content
- 0.00694 troy oz
Why this coin has no mint mark
Philadelphia struck the 1859 United States 1/4 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.
Why the 1859 United States 1/4 Dollar is worth money
Documented examples of the 1859 United States 1/4 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.
Pre-1933 gold carries two values at once: the 1859 United States 1/4 Dollar holds 0.0069 oz of metal ($23.25 today) plus the historical premium of a coin the Treasury once tried to recall entirely.
Context adds the final layer to the 1859 United States 1/4 Dollar. 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.
1859 United States 1/4 Dollar inscriptions & design
Obverse
************* (date)
Liberty seated
Reverse
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA; QUAR. DOL.
eagle, wings spread, shield on breast
Measured 1859 United States 1/4 Dollar specimens
8 physically measured 1859 United States 1/4 Dollar examples in our reference database. Real measured weights and die axes let you authenticate a coin against the 0.24 g, 9 mm minting standard.
| Specimen | Weight | Diameter | Die axis | References |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1859 United States 1/4 Dollar #1 | 0.24 g | 9 mm | - | Burnie.20, Breen-Gillio.701 |
| 1859 United States 1/4 Dollar #2 | 0.27 g | 9 mm | - | Burnie.21, Breen-Gillio.704 |
| 1859 United States 1/4 Dollar #3 | 0.21 g | 10 mm | - | Burnie.39, Breen-Gillio.801 |
| 1859 United States 1/4 Dollar #4 | 0.25 g | 10 mm | - | Burnie.39, Breen-Gillio.801 |
| 1859 United States 1/4 Dollar #5 | 0.22 g | 9 mm | - | Breen-Gillio.702 |
| 1859 United States 1/4 Dollar #6 | - | - | - | - |
| 1859 United States 1/4 Dollar #7 | - | - | - | - |
| 1859 United States 1/4 Dollar #8 | - | - | - | - |
Specifications compiled from documented museum specimens. See our data & methodology page.
Summary: the 1859 United States 1/4 Dollar is valued between $23.25 and $251 as of 2026-06-15. Estimates combine mintage rarity, key-date status and metal content; they are editorial guidance, not an offer to buy.