1874 United States 1/4 Dollar Value
The 1874 United States 1/4 Dollar carries a current retail range of about $12.60 to $136 across circulated and Mint State grades, and its metal content alone is worth $12.60 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 gold standard.
1874 United States 1/4 Dollar value by grade
| Grade | Estimated value |
|---|---|
| Melt value floor(metal content, 2026-06-01) | $12.60 |
| Good (G-4) | $12.60 to $15.12 |
| Very Good (VG-8) | $12.60 to $15.57 |
| Fine (F-12) | $12.60 to $16.32 |
| Very Fine (VF-20) | $12.60 to $17.38 |
| Extremely Fine (XF-40) | $13.92 to $19.65 |
| About Uncirculated (AU-50) | $17.13 to $24.18 |
| Mint State (MS-60) | $23.55 to $33.25 |
| Choice Unc (MS-63) | $37.47 to $52.90 |
| Gem Unc (MS-65) | $96.36 to $136 |
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 the 1874 United States 1/4 Dollar selling for today?
At the entry level, well-worn examples bring about $12.60. The same coin in gem uncirculated condition is a $136 coin. Grade is everything: two examples of the 1874 United States 1/4 Dollar can differ in price by an order of magnitude based purely on preservation.
1874 United States 1/4 Dollar specifications
- Series
- United States Coinage
- Year
- 1874
- Mint mark
- None (Philadelphia)
- Mintage
- Not recorded
- Composition
- Gold
- Weight
- 0.13 g
- Diameter
- 9 mm
- Gold content
- 0.00376 troy oz
The missing mint mark, explained
No mint mark is the mark here: the 1874 United States 1/4 Dollar comes from the main Philadelphia Mint, which left its coins unlettered in this era. The position where branch mints placed their letter (varies by series) is simply blank.
What makes the 1874 United States 1/4 Dollar valuable
The 1874 United States 1/4 Dollar lacks precise production records, so its value rests on demonstrated rarity: how often examples surface at auction and how they compare to documented specimens.
Each 1874 United States 1/4 Dollar holds 0.0038 troy ounces of gold, worth $12.60 at current spot prices. Gold content dominates the value of common dates and underwrites every numismatic premium above it.
Context adds the final layer to the 1874 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.
1874 United States 1/4 Dollar inscriptions & design
Obverse
1874
Liberty hd. l.
Reverse
1/4 DOLLAR CAL.
value within wreath
Measured 1874 United States 1/4 Dollar specimens
6 physically measured 1874 United States 1/4 Dollar examples in our reference database. Real measured weights and die axes let you authenticate a coin against the 0.13 g, 9 mm minting standard.
| Specimen | Weight | Diameter | Die axis | References |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1874 United States 1/4 Dollar #1 | 0.13 g | 10 mm | - | Burnie.101, Breen-Gillio.876 |
| 1874 United States 1/4 Dollar #2 | 0.13 g | 9 mm | - | Burnie.97, Breen-Gillio.795 |
| 1874 United States 1/4 Dollar #3 | 0.19 g | 10 mm | - | Burnie.101, Breen-Gillio.888 |
| 1874 United States 1/4 Dollar #4 | 0.15 g | 9 mm | - | Burnie.96, Breen-Gillio.776 |
| 1874 United States 1/4 Dollar #5 | - | - | - | - |
| 1874 United States 1/4 Dollar #6 | - | - | - | - |
Specifications compiled from documented museum specimens. See our data & methodology page.
Summary: the 1874 United States 1/4 Dollar is valued between $12.60 and $136 as of 2026-06-13. Estimates combine mintage rarity, key-date status and metal content; they are editorial guidance, not an offer to buy.