1863 United States Cent Value

Today a 1863 United States Cent typically sells for its melt value to well into four figures, with condition doing most of the work. The figures below break the range down grade by grade.

Public domain image (struck or printed before 1926). Click to enlarge.

1863 United States Cent value by grade

1863 United States Cent value by grade
GradeEstimated value

Estimated retail range. Estimates are modeled from mintage rarity and metal content, not auction records. Actual sale prices vary with certification, eye appeal and market timing.

What is the 1863 United States Cent selling for today?

The market for the 1863 United States Cent is driven by condition above all.

1863 United States Cent specifications

Series
United States Coinage
Year
1863
Mint mark
None (Philadelphia)
Mintage
Not recorded
Composition
Copper
Weight
3.15 g
Diameter
19 mm

The missing mint mark, explained

The 1863 United States Cent comes from Philadelphia, which struck coins without a mint mark. If the spot where branch-mint coins show a letter is empty on your 1863, that is exactly as it should be.

What makes the 1863 United States Cent valuable

Without a firm mintage figure, the 1863 United States Cent trades on what actually turns up. Documented museum specimens give collectors a benchmark for authenticity and typical preservation.

Context adds the final layer to the 1863 United States Cent. 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.

1863 United States Cent inscriptions & design

Obverse

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA 1863

Indian hd. l.

Reverse

ONE CENT

value within wreath, shield above

Measured 1863 United States Cent specimens

2 physically measured 1863 United States Cent examples in our reference database. Real measured weights and die axes let you authenticate a coin against the 3.15 g, 19 mm minting standard.

Measured 1863 United States Cent specimens
SpecimenWeightDiameterDie axisReferences
1863 United States Cent #13.15 g19 mm-Judd.299, Adams.Woodin.424, Pollock.359
1863 United States Cent #2---Breen.1951

Specifications compiled from documented museum specimens. See our data & methodology page.