1878 United States 3 Dollar Value
A 1878 United States 3 Dollar is worth roughly $486 to $5,248 depending on its condition, with a hard melt-value floor of $486 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.
1878 United States 3 Dollar value by grade
| Grade | Estimated value |
|---|---|
| Melt value floor(metal content, 2026-06-01) | $485.92 |
| Good (G-4) | $486 to $583 |
| Very Good (VG-8) | $486 to $601 |
| Fine (F-12) | $486 to $630 |
| Very Fine (VF-20) | $486 to $671 |
| Extremely Fine (XF-40) | $537 to $758 |
| About Uncirculated (AU-50) | $661 to $933 |
| Mint State (MS-60) | $909 to $1,283 |
| Choice Unc (MS-63) | $1,446 to $2,041 |
| Gem Unc (MS-65) | $3,717 to $5,248 |
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.
What is a 1878 United States 3 Dollar worth right now?
Figure roughly $486 as the realistic floor for a damage-free, well-worn 1878 United States 3 Dollar, rising steadily through the grades to about $5,248 for a certified gem. Cleaned or damaged coins trade below these figures, though never below the $486 melt floor.
1878 United States 3 Dollar specifications
- Series
- United States Coinage
- Year
- 1878
- Mint mark
- None (Philadelphia)
- Mintage
- Not recorded
- Composition
- Gold
- Weight
- 5.013 g
- Diameter
- 20 mm
- Gold content
- 0.14505 troy oz
Why this coin has no mint mark
Philadelphia struck the 1878 United States 3 Dollar, and Philadelphia coins of this period carry no mint mark at all. An empty space at the usual mint mark position (see the series guide) confirms a Philadelphia strike, not a flaw.
Where this coin's value comes from
Documented examples of the 1878 United States 3 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 1878 United States 3 Dollar holds 0.1451 troy ounces of gold, worth $486 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 1878 United States 3 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.
1878 United States 3 Dollar inscriptions & design
Obverse
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
bust l.
Reverse
3 DOLLARS 1878
wreath
Measured 1878 United States 3 Dollar specimens
2 physically measured 1878 United States 3 Dollar examples in our reference database. Real measured weights and die axes let you authenticate a coin against the 5.013 g, 20 mm minting standard.
| Specimen | Weight | Diameter | Die axis | References |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1878 United States 3 Dollar #1 | 5.013 g | 20 mm | - | Friedberg.USA.124, Breen.6391 |
| 1878 United States 3 Dollar #2 | - | - | - | Breen.6390, Friedberg.USA.124 |
Specifications compiled from documented museum specimens. See our data & methodology page.
Summary: the 1878 United States 3 Dollar is valued between $486 and $5,248 as of 2026-06-15. Estimates combine mintage rarity, key-date status and metal content; they are editorial guidance, not an offer to buy.