1859 United States Dollar Value
A 1859 United States Dollar is worth roughly $1.76 to $19.06 depending on its condition. Its intrinsic melt value stands at $1.76 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 silver standard.
1859 United States Dollar value by grade
| Grade | Estimated value |
|---|---|
| Melt value floor(metal content, 2026-06-01) | $1.76 |
| Good (G-4) | $1.76 to $2.12 |
| Very Good (VG-8) | $1.76 to $2.18 |
| Fine (F-12) | $1.76 to $2.29 |
| Very Fine (VF-20) | $1.76 to $2.44 |
| Extremely Fine (XF-40) | $1.95 to $2.75 |
| About Uncirculated (AU-50) | $2.40 to $3.39 |
| Mint State (MS-60) | $3.30 to $4.66 |
| Choice Unc (MS-63) | $5.25 to $7.41 |
| Gem Unc (MS-65) | $13.50 to $19.06 |
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.
How much is a 1859 United States Dollar worth today?
A 1859 United States Dollar that spent decades in circulation is worth about $1.76 today. One that never circulated at all can bring up to $19.06. The honest answer for most inherited or pocket-found examples sits in the lower half of the table.
1859 United States Dollar specifications
- Series
- United States Coinage
- Year
- 1859
- Mint mark
- None (Philadelphia)
- Mintage
- Not recorded
- Composition
- Silver
- Weight
- 1.671 g
- Diameter
- 15 mm
- Silver content
- 0.04835 troy oz
No mint mark? Here is why
The 1859 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.
What collectors pay for in a 1859 United States Dollar
Documented examples of the 1859 United States 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.
A 1859 United States Dollar is real bullion as well as a collectible: 0.0483 troy ounces of fine silver, or about $1.76 of metal value in every example, regardless of condition.
Documented United States coin types preserved in museum collections, with measured specifications for each date, denomination and mint. For the 1859 United States Dollar, the enduring popularity of the series translates directly into buyers in every grade and every market cycle.
1859 United States Dollar inscriptions & design
Obverse
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
head of Liberty l. wearing bonnet
Reverse
1 / DOLLAR/ 1859 in 3 lines
wreath of corn stalks, value within
Measured 1859 United States Dollar specimens
5 physically measured 1859 United States Dollar examples in our reference database. Real measured weights and die axes let you authenticate a coin against the 1.671 g, 15 mm minting standard.
| Specimen | Weight | Diameter | Die axis | References |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1859 United States Dollar #1 | 1.671 g | 15 mm | - | Friedberg.USA.94, Breen.6061 |
| 1859 United States Dollar #2 | - | - | - | Osburn-Cushing.P1, Breen.5457 |
| 1859 United States Dollar #3 | - | - | - | Osburn-Cushing.1, Breen.5458 |
| 1859 United States Dollar #4 | - | - | - | Osburn-Cushing.1, Breen.5461 |
| 1859 United States Dollar #5 | - | - | - | Osburn-Cushing.1, Breen.5458 |
Specifications compiled from documented museum specimens. See our data & methodology page.
Summary: the 1859 United States Dollar is valued between $1.76 and $19.06 as of 2026-06-15. Estimates combine mintage rarity, key-date status and metal content; they are editorial guidance, not an offer to buy.