1869 United States 1/4 Dollar Value
The 1869 United States 1/4 Dollar carries a current retail range of about $24.22 to $262 across circulated and Mint State grades, and its metal content alone is worth $24.22 as of 2026-06-01 Where your coin lands depends on wear, strike and surface quality.
Public domain image (struck or printed before 1926). Click to enlarge.
Melt estimated at the US 0.900 gold standard.
1869 United States 1/4 Dollar value by grade
| Grade | Estimated value |
|---|---|
| Melt value floor(metal content, 2026-06-01) | $24.22 |
| Good (G-4) | $24.22 to $29.06 |
| Very Good (VG-8) | $24.22 to $29.94 |
| Fine (F-12) | $24.22 to $31.39 |
| Very Fine (VF-20) | $24.22 to $33.42 |
| Extremely Fine (XF-40) | $26.76 to $37.78 |
| About Uncirculated (AU-50) | $32.94 to $46.50 |
| Mint State (MS-60) | $45.29 to $63.94 |
| Choice Unc (MS-63) | $72.06 to $102 |
| Gem Unc (MS-65) | $185 to $262 |
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.
What is the 1869 United States 1/4 Dollar selling for today?
At the entry level, well-worn examples bring about $24.22. The same coin in gem uncirculated condition is a $262 coin. Grade is everything: two examples of the 1869 United States 1/4 Dollar can differ in price by an order of magnitude based purely on preservation.
1869 United States 1/4 Dollar specifications
- Series
- United States Coinage
- Year
- 1869
- Mint mark
- None (Philadelphia)
- Mintage
- Not recorded
- Composition
- Gold
- Weight
- 0.25 g
- Diameter
- 10 mm
- Gold content
- 0.00723 troy oz
Why this coin has no mint mark
The 1869 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 makes the 1869 United States 1/4 Dollar valuable
At 0.0072 troy ounces of gold, $24.22 at spot, the intrinsic value of a 1869 United States 1/4 Dollar is substantial, and every move in the gold market flows straight into its price.
For the 1869 United States 1/4 Dollar, surviving examples tell the story that mint records do not. Museum-documented specimens define the issue for collectors.
Context adds the final layer to the 1869 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.
1869 United States 1/4 Dollar inscriptions & design
Obverse
************* (date)
Liberty seated
Reverse
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA; QUAR. DOL.
eagle, wings spread, shield on breast, motto on scroll above
Measured 1869 United States 1/4 Dollar specimens
6 physically measured 1869 United States 1/4 Dollar examples in our reference database. Real measured weights and die axes let you authenticate a coin against the 0.25 g, 10 mm minting standard.
| Specimen | Weight | Diameter | Die axis | References |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1869 United States 1/4 Dollar #1 | 0.29 g | 9 mm | - | Burnie.50, Breen-Gillio.750 |
| 1869 United States 1/4 Dollar #2 | 0.25 g | 10 mm | - | Burnie.66, Breen-Gillio.827 |
| 1869 United States 1/4 Dollar #3 | 0.24 g | 10 mm | - | Burnie.50, Breen-Gillio.748 |
| 1869 United States 1/4 Dollar #4 | 0.27 g | 10 mm | - | Burnie.66, Breen-Gillio.826 |
| 1869 United States 1/4 Dollar #5 | - | - | - | - |
| 1869 United States 1/4 Dollar #6 | - | - | - | - |
Specifications compiled from documented museum specimens. See our data & methodology page.
Summary: the 1869 United States 1/4 Dollar is valued between $24.22 and $262 as of 2026-06-15. Estimates combine mintage rarity, key-date status and metal content; they are editorial guidance, not an offer to buy.