1871 United States 1/4 Dollar Value
Today a 1871 United States 1/4 Dollar typically sells for $21.34 to $230, with condition doing most of the work, and its metal content alone is worth $21.34 as of 2026-06-01 Exceptional, certified pieces regularly exceed the top of that range.
Public domain image (struck or printed before 1926). Click to enlarge.
Melt estimated at the US 0.900 gold standard.
1871 United States 1/4 Dollar value by grade
| Grade | Estimated value |
|---|---|
| Melt value floor(metal content, 2026-06-01) | $21.34 |
| Good (G-4) | $21.34 to $25.61 |
| Very Good (VG-8) | $21.34 to $26.38 |
| Fine (F-12) | $21.34 to $27.66 |
| Very Fine (VF-20) | $21.34 to $29.45 |
| Extremely Fine (XF-40) | $23.58 to $33.29 |
| About Uncirculated (AU-50) | $29.02 to $40.97 |
| Mint State (MS-60) | $39.90 to $56.34 |
| Choice Unc (MS-63) | $63.49 to $89.63 |
| Gem Unc (MS-65) | $163 to $230 |
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.
Current 1871 United States 1/4 Dollar value
At the entry level, well-worn examples bring about $21.34. The same coin in gem uncirculated condition is a $230 coin. Grade is everything: two examples of the 1871 United States 1/4 Dollar can differ in price by an order of magnitude based purely on preservation.
1871 United States 1/4 Dollar specifications
- Series
- United States Coinage
- Year
- 1871
- Mint mark
- None (Philadelphia)
- Mintage
- Not recorded
- Composition
- Gold
- Weight
- 0.22 g
- Diameter
- 10 mm
- Gold content
- 0.00637 troy oz
The missing mint mark, explained
The 1871 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 1871 United States 1/4 Dollar valuable
For the 1871 United States 1/4 Dollar, surviving examples tell the story that mint records do not. Museum-documented specimens define the issue for collectors.
At 0.0064 troy ounces of gold, $21.34 at spot, the intrinsic value of a 1871 United States 1/4 Dollar is substantial, and every move in the gold market flows straight into its price.
Context adds the final layer to the 1871 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.
1871 United States 1/4 Dollar inscriptions & design
Obverse
1871
Liberty hd. l.
Reverse
1/4 DOLLAR CAL.
value within wreath
Measured 1871 United States 1/4 Dollar specimens
12 physically measured 1871 United States 1/4 Dollar examples in our reference database. Real measured weights and die axes let you authenticate a coin against the 0.22 g, 10 mm minting standard.
| Specimen | Weight | Diameter | Die axis | References |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1871 United States 1/4 Dollar #1 | 0.24 g | 10 mm | - | Burnie.78, Breen-Gillio.840 |
| 1871 United States 1/4 Dollar #2 | 0.21 g | 10 mm | - | Burnie.64, Breen-Gillio.714 |
| 1871 United States 1/4 Dollar #3 | 0.19 g | 9 mm | - | Burnie.63, Breen-Gillio.717 |
| 1871 United States 1/4 Dollar #4 | 0.28 g | 10 mm | - | Burnie.74, Breen-Gillio.767 |
| 1871 United States 1/4 Dollar #5 | 0.22 g | 10 mm | - | Burnie.74, Breen-Gillio.765 |
| 1871 United States 1/4 Dollar #6 | 0.22 g | 10 mm | - | Burnie.75, Breen-Gillio.809 |
| 1871 United States 1/4 Dollar #7 | 0.25 g | 10 mm | - | Burnie.76, Breen-Gillio.813 |
| 1871 United States 1/4 Dollar #8 | 0.24 g | 10 mm | - | Burnie.76, Breen-Gillio.770 |
| 1871 United States 1/4 Dollar #9 | 0.27 g | 10 mm | - | Burnie.78, Breen-Gillio.838 |
| 1871 United States 1/4 Dollar #10 | 0.22 g | 10 mm | - | Burnie.80, Breen-Gillio.861 |
| 1871 United States 1/4 Dollar #11 | 0.23 g | 10 mm | - | Burnie.83, Breen-Gillio.841 |
| 1871 United States 1/4 Dollar #12 | 0.2 g | 10 mm | - | Burnie.64, Breen-Gillio.714 |
Specifications compiled from documented museum specimens. See our data & methodology page.
Summary: the 1871 United States 1/4 Dollar is valued between $21.34 and $230 as of 2026-06-15. Estimates combine mintage rarity, key-date status and metal content; they are editorial guidance, not an offer to buy.