1878 United States Coin Value

A 1878 United States Coin is worth roughly $2.43 to $26.28 depending on its condition. Its intrinsic melt value stands at $2.43 based on spot prices from 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 silver standard.

1878 United States Coin value by grade

1878 United States Coin value by grade
GradeEstimated value
Melt value floor(metal content, 2026-06-01)$2.43
Good (G-4)$2.43 to $2.92
Very Good (VG-8)$2.43 to $3.01
Fine (F-12)$2.43 to $3.15
Very Fine (VF-20)$2.43 to $3.36
Extremely Fine (XF-40)$2.69 to $3.80
About Uncirculated (AU-50)$3.31 to $4.67
Mint State (MS-60)$4.55 to $6.42
Choice Unc (MS-63)$7.24 to $10.22
Gem Unc (MS-65)$18.62 to $26.28

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.

How much is a 1878 United States Coin worth today?

Start with $2.43 for a heavily circulated 1878 United States Coin and work upward. Lightly circulated 1878 examples occupy the middle of the range, while true gems approach $26.28. If your coin has no wear on the high points, it deserves a closer look or a professional opinion.

1878 United States Coin specifications

Series
United States Coinage
Year
1878
Mint mark
None (Philadelphia)
Mintage
Not recorded
Composition
Silver
Weight
2.304 g
Diameter
18 mm
Silver content
0.06667 troy oz

Why this coin has no mint mark

The 1878 United States Coin 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 1878 United States Coin in our reference database anchor what we know about this issue. Mintage records are incomplete, so collector demand and surviving population drive its market.

A 1878 United States Coin is real bullion as well as a collectible: 0.0667 troy ounces of fine silver, or about $2.43 of metal value in every example, regardless of condition.

There is history in a 1878 United States Coinage as well. Documented United States coin types preserved in museum collections, with measured specifications for each date, denomination and mint. That backdrop keeps the series among the most actively collected in American numismatics.

1878 United States Coin inscriptions & design

Obverse

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA / LIBERTY (on shield) / (date)

Liberty seated, with shield and liberty cap on pole

Reverse

ONE / DIME

Cereal wreath

Measured 1878 United States Coin specimens

3 physically measured 1878 United States Coin examples in our reference database. Real measured weights and die axes let you authenticate a coin against the 2.304 g, 18 mm minting standard.

Measured 1878 United States Coin specimens
SpecimenWeightDiameterDie axisReferences
1878 United States Coin #1----
1878 United States Coin #2----
1878 United States Coin #32.304 g18 mm6 h-

Specifications compiled from documented museum specimens. See our data & methodology page.

Summary: the 1878 United States Coin is valued between $2.43 and $26.28 as of 2026-06-15. Estimates combine mintage rarity, key-date status and metal content; they are editorial guidance, not an offer to buy.