1871 United States Cent Value
In the current market, a 1871 United States Cent changes hands for roughly its melt value at the low end and well into four figures at the top. See the grade table below for exactly where your coin falls.
1871 United States Cent value by grade
| Grade | Estimated value |
|---|
Estimated retail range. 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 1871 United States Cent selling for today?
Pricing for the 1871 United States Cent depends on grade and current collector demand.
1871 United States Cent specifications
- Series
- United States Coinage
- Year
- 1871
- Mint mark
- None (Philadelphia)
- Mintage
- Not recorded
- Composition
- Bronze
The missing mint mark, explained
The 1871 United States Cent 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 Cent valuable
Context adds the final layer to the 1871 United States Cent. 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.
The 1871 United States Cent lacks precise production records, so its value rests on demonstrated rarity: how often examples surface at auction and how they compare to documented specimens.
1871 United States Cent inscriptions & design
Obverse
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA 1871
Liberty head, Indian headdress
Reverse
ONE CENT
wreath, shield
Measured 1871 United States Cent specimens
2 physically measured 1871 United States Cent examples in our reference database. Real measured weights and die axes let you authenticate a coin against the g, mm minting standard.
| Specimen | Weight | Diameter | Die axis | References |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1871 United States Cent #1 | - | - | - | Breen.1981 |
| 1871 United States Cent #2 | - | - | - | Breen.1981 |
Specifications compiled from documented museum specimens. See our data & methodology page.