1870 United States Dollar Value
Today a 1870 United States Dollar typically sells for $1.76 to $19.06, with condition doing most of the work; the melt floor under every example is $1.76 (spot prices as of 2026-06-01) The figures below break the range down grade by grade.
Public domain image (struck or printed before 1926). Click to enlarge.
Melt estimated at the US 0.900 silver standard.
1870 United States Dollar value by grade
| Grade | Estimated value |
|---|---|
| Melt value floor(metal content, 2026-06-01) | $1.76 |
| Good (G-4) | $1.76 to $2.12 |
| Very Good (VG-8) | $1.76 to $2.18 |
| Fine (F-12) | $1.76 to $2.29 |
| Very Fine (VF-20) | $1.76 to $2.44 |
| Extremely Fine (XF-40) | $1.95 to $2.75 |
| About Uncirculated (AU-50) | $2.40 to $3.39 |
| Mint State (MS-60) | $3.30 to $4.66 |
| Choice Unc (MS-63) | $5.25 to $7.41 |
| Gem Unc (MS-65) | $13.50 to $19.06 |
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.
Current 1870 United States Dollar value
In worn but collectible condition (Good-4), a 1870 United States Dollar starts around $1.76. From there, value climbs with every grade step: a gem Mint State example (MS-65) can reach $19.06. Most coins found in old collections fall somewhere between Very Fine and About Uncirculated, the middle rows of the table above.
1870 United States Dollar specifications
- Series
- United States Coinage
- Year
- 1870
- Mint mark
- None (Philadelphia)
- Mintage
- Not recorded
- Composition
- Silver
- Weight
- 1.671 g
- Diameter
- 14.5 mm
- Silver content
- 0.04835 troy oz
Reading a coin with no mint mark
The 1870 United States 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 1870 United States Dollar valuable
Documented examples of the 1870 United States Dollar in our reference database anchor what we know about this issue. Mintage records are incomplete, so collector demand and surviving population drive its market.
The 90% silver composition gives a 1870 United States Dollar 0.0483 oz of precious metal ($1.76 at current spot). Bullion demand alone supports the bottom of its price range.
Context adds the final layer to the 1870 United States 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.
1870 United States Dollar inscriptions & design
Obverse
************* 1870
Liberty seated r., head l., holding cap (pilius) on a pole with one hand and resting the other on inscribed shield
Reverse
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA; ONE DOL.
eagle facing, head l.; motto above
Measured 1870 United States Dollar specimens
5 physically measured 1870 United States Dollar examples in our reference database. Real measured weights and die axes let you authenticate a coin against the 1.671 g, 14.5 mm minting standard.
| Specimen | Weight | Diameter | Die axis | References |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1870 United States Dollar #1 | 1.671 g | 14.5 mm | - | Friedberg.USA.94, Breen.6084 |
| 1870 United States Dollar #2 | 23.38 g | 37 mm | 6 h | Judd.1016, Adams.Woodin.860, Pollock.1150 |
| 1870 United States Dollar #3 | - | - | - | Osburn-Cushing.P2, Breen.5482 |
| 1870 United States Dollar #4 | - | - | - | Breen.5482 |
| 1870 United States Dollar #5 | - | - | - | Judd.996, Pollock.1127, Adams.Woodin.865 |
Specifications compiled from documented museum specimens. See our data & methodology page.
Summary: the 1870 United States Dollar is valued between $1.76 and $19.06 as of 2026-06-13. Estimates combine mintage rarity, key-date status and metal content; they are editorial guidance, not an offer to buy.