1866 United States 1/4 Dollar Value
Depending on how well it survived, a 1866 United States 1/4 Dollar brings anywhere from $18.42 to $199; the melt floor under every example is $18.42 (spot prices 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.
1866 United States 1/4 Dollar value by grade
| Grade | Estimated value |
|---|---|
| Melt value floor(metal content, 2026-06-01) | $18.42 |
| Good (G-4) | $18.42 to $22.11 |
| Very Good (VG-8) | $18.42 to $22.77 |
| Fine (F-12) | $18.42 to $23.88 |
| Very Fine (VF-20) | $18.42 to $25.43 |
| Extremely Fine (XF-40) | $20.36 to $28.74 |
| About Uncirculated (AU-50) | $25.06 to $35.38 |
| Mint State (MS-60) | $34.45 to $48.64 |
| Choice Unc (MS-63) | $54.81 to $77.38 |
| Gem Unc (MS-65) | $141 to $199 |
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 1866 United States 1/4 Dollar worth today?
At the entry level, well-worn examples bring about $18.42. The same coin in gem uncirculated condition is a $199 coin. Grade is everything: two examples of the 1866 United States 1/4 Dollar can differ in price by an order of magnitude based purely on preservation.
1866 United States 1/4 Dollar specifications
- Series
- United States Coinage
- Year
- 1866
- Mint mark
- None (Philadelphia)
- Mintage
- Not recorded
- Composition
- Gold
- Weight
- 0.19 g
- Diameter
- 10 mm
- Gold content
- 0.00550 troy oz
Why this coin has no mint mark
The 1866 United States 1/4 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 1866 United States 1/4 Dollar
Official mintage figures for the 1866 United States 1/4 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.
Each 1866 United States 1/4 Dollar holds 0.0055 troy ounces of gold, worth $18.42 at current spot prices. Gold content dominates the value of common dates and underwrites every numismatic premium above it.
Few series carry the following that supports the 1866 United States 1/4 Dollar. Documented United States coin types preserved in museum collections, with measured specifications for each date, denomination and mint. A coin that thousands of collectors are actively assembling into sets never lacks for a market.
1866 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 1866 United States 1/4 Dollar specimens
6 physically measured 1866 United States 1/4 Dollar examples in our reference database. Real measured weights and die axes let you authenticate a coin against the 0.19 g, 10 mm minting standard.
| Specimen | Weight | Diameter | Die axis | References |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1866 United States 1/4 Dollar #1 | 0.19 g | 9 mm | - | Burnie.38, Breen-Gillio.708 |
| 1866 United States 1/4 Dollar #2 | 0.19 g | 10 mm | - | Burnie.56, Breen-Gillio.804 |
| 1866 United States 1/4 Dollar #3 | 0.32 g | 10 mm | - | Breen-Gillio.740 |
| 1866 United States 1/4 Dollar #4 | - | - | - | - |
| 1866 United States 1/4 Dollar #5 | - | - | - | - |
| 1866 United States 1/4 Dollar #6 | - | - | - | Breen-Gillio.740 |
Specifications compiled from documented museum specimens. See our data & methodology page.
Summary: the 1866 United States 1/4 Dollar is valued between $18.42 and $199 as of 2026-06-13. Estimates combine mintage rarity, key-date status and metal content; they are editorial guidance, not an offer to buy.