1873 United States 1/4 Dollar Value
Depending on how well it survived, a 1873 United States 1/4 Dollar brings anywhere from $0.24 to $2.63, while the raw metal inside it is valued at $0.24 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 silver standard.
1873 United States 1/4 Dollar value by grade
| Grade | Estimated value |
|---|---|
| Melt value floor(metal content, 2026-06-01) | $0.24 |
| Good (G-4) | $0.24 to $0.29 |
| Very Good (VG-8) | $0.24 to $0.30 |
| Fine (F-12) | $0.24 to $0.32 |
| Very Fine (VF-20) | $0.24 to $0.34 |
| Extremely Fine (XF-40) | $0.27 to $0.38 |
| About Uncirculated (AU-50) | $0.33 to $0.47 |
| Mint State (MS-60) | $0.45 to $0.64 |
| Choice Unc (MS-63) | $0.72 to $1.02 |
| Gem Unc (MS-65) | $1.86 to $2.63 |
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 1873 United States 1/4 Dollar worth today?
Figure roughly $0.24 as the realistic floor for a damage-free, well-worn 1873 United States 1/4 Dollar, rising steadily through the grades to about $2.63 for a certified gem. Cleaned or damaged coins trade below these figures, though never below the $0.24 melt floor.
1873 United States 1/4 Dollar specifications
- Series
- United States Coinage
- Year
- 1873
- Mint mark
- None (Philadelphia)
- Mintage
- Not recorded
- Composition
- Silver
- Weight
- 0.23 g
- Diameter
- 10 mm
- Silver content
- 0.00666 troy oz
No mint mark? Here is why
The 1873 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 1873 United States 1/4 Dollar valuable
Every 1873 United States 1/4 Dollar contains 0.0067 troy ounces of pure silver, currently worth $0.24. That intrinsic value is a hard floor under the price: no matter how worn the coin, the silver inside cannot be graded away.
Official mintage figures for the 1873 United States 1/4 Dollar are not well established. The museum-documented specimens behind our specifications provide the physical reference points for the issue, and the market prices it on observed scarcity.
The series itself does some of the lifting for the 1873 United States 1/4 Dollar: Documented United States coin types preserved in museum collections, with measured specifications for each date, denomination and mint. Broad, multigenerational demand for the design gives every date, including this one, a deep and liquid market.
1873 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 1873 United States 1/4 Dollar specimens
6 physically measured 1873 United States 1/4 Dollar examples in our reference database. Real measured weights and die axes let you authenticate a coin against the 0.23 g, 10 mm minting standard.
| Specimen | Weight | Diameter | Die axis | References |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1873 United States 1/4 Dollar #1 | 0.25 g | 10 mm | - | Burnie.90, Breen-Gillio.817 |
| 1873 United States 1/4 Dollar #2 | 0.23 g | 10 mm | - | Burnie.93, Breen-Gillio.817 |
| 1873 United States 1/4 Dollar #3 | 0.22 g | 9 mm | - | Burnie.93, Breen-Gillio.728 |
| 1873 United States 1/4 Dollar #4 | - | - | - | - |
| 1873 United States 1/4 Dollar #5 | - | - | - | - |
| 1873 United States 1/4 Dollar #6 | - | - | - | - |
Specifications compiled from documented museum specimens. See our data & methodology page.
Summary: the 1873 United States 1/4 Dollar is valued between $0.24 and $2.63 as of 2026-06-13. Estimates combine mintage rarity, key-date status and metal content; they are editorial guidance, not an offer to buy.