1861 United States Dollar Value
A 1861 United States Dollar is worth roughly $162 to $1,748 depending on its condition, with a hard melt-value floor of $162 as of 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.
1861 United States Dollar value by grade
| Grade | Estimated value |
|---|---|
| Melt value floor(metal content, 2026-06-01) | $161.87 |
| Good (G-4) | $162 to $194 |
| Very Good (VG-8) | $162 to $200 |
| Fine (F-12) | $162 to $210 |
| Very Fine (VF-20) | $162 to $223 |
| Extremely Fine (XF-40) | $179 to $253 |
| About Uncirculated (AU-50) | $220 to $311 |
| Mint State (MS-60) | $303 to $427 |
| Choice Unc (MS-63) | $482 to $680 |
| Gem Unc (MS-65) | $1,238 to $1,748 |
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 1861 United States Dollar worth today?
Figure roughly $162 as the realistic floor for a damage-free, well-worn 1861 United States Dollar, rising steadily through the grades to about $1,748 for a certified gem. Cleaned or damaged coins trade below these figures, though never below the $162 melt floor.
1861 United States Dollar specifications
- Series
- United States Coinage
- Year
- 1861
- Mint mark
- None (Philadelphia)
- Mintage
- Not recorded
- Composition
- Gold
- Weight
- 1.67 g
- Diameter
- 14.75 mm
- Gold content
- 0.04832 troy oz
No mint mark? Here is why
The 1861 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 1861 United States Dollar
Documented examples of the 1861 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.
Each 1861 United States Dollar holds 0.0483 troy ounces of gold, worth $162 at current spot prices. Gold content dominates the value of common dates and underwrites every numismatic premium above it.
The series itself does some of the lifting for the 1861 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.
1861 United States Dollar inscriptions & design
Obverse
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
head of Liberty l. wearing bonnet
Reverse
1 / DOLLAR/ 1861 in 3 lines
wreath of corn stalks, value within
Measured 1861 United States Dollar specimens
3 physically measured 1861 United States Dollar examples in our reference database. Real measured weights and die axes let you authenticate a coin against the 1.67 g, 14.75 mm minting standard.
| Specimen | Weight | Diameter | Die axis | References |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1861 United States Dollar #1 | 1.67 g | 14.75 mm | - | Friedberg.USA.94, Breen.6069 |
| 1861 United States Dollar #2 | 1.673 g | 15 mm | 6 h | KM.US.p.1086 |
| 1861 United States Dollar #3 | - | - | - | Osburn-Cushing.P1, Breen.5467 |
Specifications compiled from documented museum specimens. See our data & methodology page.
Summary: the 1861 United States Dollar is valued between $162 and $1,748 as of 2026-06-13. Estimates combine mintage rarity, key-date status and metal content; they are editorial guidance, not an offer to buy.