1870 United States 25 Cent Value

A 1870 United States 25 Cent is worth roughly $5.76 to $62.17 depending on its condition; the melt floor under every example is $5.76 (spot prices as of 2026-06-01) See the grade table below for exactly where your coin falls.

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

Melt estimated at the US 0.900 silver standard.

1870 United States 25 Cent value by grade

1870 United States 25 Cent value by grade
GradeEstimated value
Melt value floor(metal content, 2026-06-01)$5.76
Good (G-4)$5.76 to $6.91
Very Good (VG-8)$5.76 to $7.11
Fine (F-12)$5.76 to $7.46
Very Fine (VF-20)$5.76 to $7.94
Extremely Fine (XF-40)$6.36 to $8.98
About Uncirculated (AU-50)$7.83 to $11.05
Mint State (MS-60)$10.76 to $15.20
Choice Unc (MS-63)$17.12 to $24.18
Gem Unc (MS-65)$44.03 to $62.17

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.

What is the 1870 United States 25 Cent selling for today?

In worn but collectible condition (Good-4), a 1870 United States 25 Cent starts around $5.76. From there, value climbs with every grade step: a gem Mint State example (MS-65) can reach $62.17. Most coins found in old collections fall somewhere between Very Fine and About Uncirculated, the middle rows of the table above.

1870 United States 25 Cent specifications

Series
United States Coinage
Year
1870
Mint mark
None (Philadelphia)
Mintage
Not recorded
Composition
Silver
Weight
5.45 g
Diameter
23 mm
Silver content
0.15770 troy oz

Why there is no letter on this coin

Philadelphia struck the 1870 United States 25 Cent, and Philadelphia coins of this period carry no mint mark at all. An empty space at the usual mint mark position (see the series guide) confirms a Philadelphia strike, not a flaw.

What makes the 1870 United States 25 Cent valuable

Every 1870 United States 25 Cent contains 0.1577 troy ounces of pure silver, currently worth $5.76. That intrinsic value is a hard floor under the price: no matter how worn the coin, the silver inside cannot be graded away.

Official mintage figures for the 1870 United States 25 Cent 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.

There is history in a 1870 United States Coinage as well. Documented United States coin types preserved in museum collections, with measured specifications for each date, denomination and mint. That backdrop keeps the series among the most actively collected in American numismatics.

1870 United States 25 Cent inscriptions & design

Obverse

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

Liberty hd.r. wearing liberty cap decorated with three stars; IN GOD WE TRUST on scroll below

Reverse

STANDARD 25 CENTS 1870

value within wreath

Measured 1870 United States 25 Cent specimens

5 physically measured 1870 United States 25 Cent examples in our reference database. Real measured weights and die axes let you authenticate a coin against the 5.45 g, 23 mm minting standard.

Measured 1870 United States 25 Cent specimens
SpecimenWeightDiameterDie axisReferences
1870 United States 25 Cent #15.45 g23 mm6 hJudd.888, Adams.Woodin.958, Pollock.987
1870 United States 25 Cent #25.46 g23 mm6 hJudd.894, Adams.Woodin.970, Pollock.1001
1870 United States 25 Cent #35.44 g23 mm6 hJudd.900, Adams.Woodin.964, Pollock.1015
1870 United States 25 Cent #41.59 g23 mm6 hJudd.911, Adams.Woodin.943, Pollock.1000
1870 United States 25 Cent #55.47 g23 mm6 hJudd.906, Adams.Woodin.940, Pollock.994

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

Summary: the 1870 United States 25 Cent is valued between $5.76 and $62.17 as of 2026-06-13. Estimates combine mintage rarity, key-date status and metal content; they are editorial guidance, not an offer to buy.