1872 United States 1/4 Dollar Value
A 1872 United States 1/4 Dollar is worth roughly $16.48 to $178 depending on its condition, and its metal content alone is worth $16.48 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 gold standard.
1872 United States 1/4 Dollar value by grade
| Grade | Estimated value |
|---|---|
| Melt value floor(metal content, 2026-06-01) | $16.48 |
| Good (G-4) | $16.48 to $19.78 |
| Very Good (VG-8) | $16.48 to $20.37 |
| Fine (F-12) | $16.48 to $21.36 |
| Very Fine (VF-20) | $16.48 to $22.75 |
| Extremely Fine (XF-40) | $18.21 to $25.71 |
| About Uncirculated (AU-50) | $22.42 to $31.65 |
| Mint State (MS-60) | $30.82 to $43.51 |
| Choice Unc (MS-63) | $49.03 to $69.22 |
| Gem Unc (MS-65) | $126 to $178 |
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 a 1872 United States 1/4 Dollar worth right now?
At the entry level, well-worn examples bring about $16.48. The same coin in gem uncirculated condition is a $178 coin. Grade is everything: two examples of the 1872 United States 1/4 Dollar can differ in price by an order of magnitude based purely on preservation.
1872 United States 1/4 Dollar specifications
- Series
- United States Coinage
- Year
- 1872
- Mint mark
- None (Philadelphia)
- Mintage
- Not recorded
- Composition
- Gold
- Weight
- 0.17 g
- Diameter
- 9 mm
- Gold content
- 0.00492 troy oz
No mint mark? Here is why
The 1872 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.
Where this coin's value comes from
Documented examples of the 1872 United States 1/4 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.
Each 1872 United States 1/4 Dollar holds 0.0049 troy ounces of gold, worth $16.48 at current spot prices. Gold content dominates the value of common dates and underwrites every numismatic premium above it.
Documented United States coin types preserved in museum collections, with measured specifications for each date, denomination and mint. For the 1872 United States 1/4 Dollar, the enduring popularity of the series translates directly into buyers in every grade and every market cycle.
1872 United States 1/4 Dollar inscriptions & design
Obverse
************* (date)
Liberty seated
Reverse
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA; QUAR. DOL.
eagle, wings spread, shield on breast, motto on scroll above
Measured 1872 United States 1/4 Dollar specimens
6 physically measured 1872 United States 1/4 Dollar examples in our reference database. Real measured weights and die axes let you authenticate a coin against the 0.17 g, 9 mm minting standard.
| Specimen | Weight | Diameter | Die axis | References |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1872 United States 1/4 Dollar #1 | 0.21 g | 9 mm | - | Burnie.78, Breen-Gillio.725 |
| 1872 United States 1/4 Dollar #2 | 0.17 g | 10 mm | - | Burnie.89, Breen-Gillio.868 |
| 1872 United States 1/4 Dollar #3 | 0.21 g | 9 mm | - | Burnie.81, Breen-Gillio.723 |
| 1872 United States 1/4 Dollar #4 | 0.17 g | 10 mm | - | Burnie.88, Breen-Gillio.1011 |
| 1872 United States 1/4 Dollar #5 | - | - | - | - |
| 1872 United States 1/4 Dollar #6 | - | - | - | - |
Specifications compiled from documented museum specimens. See our data & methodology page.
Summary: the 1872 United States 1/4 Dollar is valued between $16.48 and $178 as of 2026-06-13. Estimates combine mintage rarity, key-date status and metal content; they are editorial guidance, not an offer to buy.