1870 United States Coin Value
A 1870 United States Coin is worth roughly $1.30 to $14.04 depending on its condition, and its metal content alone is worth $1.30 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 silver standard.
1870 United States Coin value by grade
| Grade | Estimated value |
|---|---|
| Melt value floor(metal content, 2026-06-01) | $1.30 |
| Good (G-4) | $1.30 to $1.56 |
| Very Good (VG-8) | $1.30 to $1.61 |
| Fine (F-12) | $1.30 to $1.68 |
| Very Fine (VF-20) | $1.30 to $1.79 |
| Extremely Fine (XF-40) | $1.44 to $2.03 |
| About Uncirculated (AU-50) | $1.77 to $2.50 |
| Mint State (MS-60) | $2.43 to $3.43 |
| Choice Unc (MS-63) | $3.87 to $5.46 |
| Gem Unc (MS-65) | $9.95 to $14.04 |
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 1870 United States Coin worth today?
A 1870 United States Coin that spent decades in circulation is worth about $1.30 today. One that never circulated at all can bring up to $14.04. The honest answer for most inherited or pocket-found examples sits in the lower half of the table.
1870 United States Coin specifications
- Series
- United States Coinage
- Year
- 1870
- Mint mark
- None (Philadelphia)
- Mintage
- Not recorded
- Composition
- Silver
- Weight
- 1.231 g
- Diameter
- 15 mm
- Silver content
- 0.03562 troy oz
Why this coin has no mint mark
The 1870 United States Coin 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.
Where this coin's value comes from
Documented examples of the 1870 United States Coin in our reference database anchor what we know about this issue. Mintage records are incomplete, so collector demand and surviving population drive its market.
Every 1870 United States Coin contains 0.0356 troy ounces of pure silver, currently worth $1.30. That intrinsic value is a hard floor under the price: no matter how worn the coin, the silver inside cannot be graded away.
Context adds the final layer to the 1870 United States Coin. 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.
1870 United States Coin inscriptions & design
Obverse
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA / LIBERTY (on shield) / (date)
Liberty seated, with shield and liberty cap on pole
Reverse
ONE / DIME
Cereal wreath
Measured 1870 United States Coin specimens
5 physically measured 1870 United States Coin examples in our reference database. Real measured weights and die axes let you authenticate a coin against the 1.231 g, 15 mm minting standard.
| Specimen | Weight | Diameter | Die axis | References |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1870 United States Coin #1 | 1.15 g | 15 mm | 6 h | Judd.817, Adams.Woodin.1047, Pollock.906 |
| 1870 United States Coin #2 | 2.36 g | 18 mm | 6 h | Judd.833, Adams.Woodin.1032, Pollock.923 |
| 1870 United States Coin #3 | - | - | - | - |
| 1870 United States Coin #4 | - | - | - | Valentine.1870.2 |
| 1870 United States Coin #5 | 1.231 g | - | 6 h | - |
Specifications compiled from documented museum specimens. See our data & methodology page.
Summary: the 1870 United States Coin is valued between $1.30 and $14.04 as of 2026-06-13. Estimates combine mintage rarity, key-date status and metal content; they are editorial guidance, not an offer to buy.