1880 United States 1/4 Dollar Value
Depending on how well it survived, a 1880 United States 1/4 Dollar brings anywhere from $15.51 to $168, and its metal content alone is worth $15.51 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.
1880 United States 1/4 Dollar value by grade
| Grade | Estimated value |
|---|---|
| Melt value floor(metal content, 2026-06-01) | $15.51 |
| Good (G-4) | $15.51 to $18.61 |
| Very Good (VG-8) | $15.51 to $19.17 |
| Fine (F-12) | $15.51 to $20.10 |
| Very Fine (VF-20) | $15.51 to $21.40 |
| Extremely Fine (XF-40) | $17.14 to $24.20 |
| About Uncirculated (AU-50) | $21.09 to $29.78 |
| Mint State (MS-60) | $29.00 to $40.95 |
| Choice Unc (MS-63) | $46.14 to $65.14 |
| Gem Unc (MS-65) | $119 to $168 |
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 1880 United States 1/4 Dollar worth today?
Start with $15.51 for a heavily circulated 1880 United States 1/4 Dollar and work upward. Lightly circulated 1880 examples occupy the middle of the range, while true gems approach $168. If your coin has no wear on the high points, it deserves a closer look or a professional opinion.
1880 United States 1/4 Dollar specifications
- Series
- United States Coinage
- Year
- 1880
- Mint mark
- None (Philadelphia)
- Mintage
- Not recorded
- Composition
- Gold
- Weight
- 0.16 g
- Diameter
- 9 mm
- Gold content
- 0.00463 troy oz
Why this coin has no mint mark
The 1880 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.
The value drivers behind this coin
Documented examples of the 1880 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.
With 0.0046 oz of fine gold inside ($15.51 of metal at today's prices), a 1880 United States 1/4 Dollar can never trade below its bullion value, and rarer dates stack collector premiums on top.
The series itself does some of the lifting for the 1880 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.
1880 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 1880 United States 1/4 Dollar specimens
5 physically measured 1880 United States 1/4 Dollar examples in our reference database. Real measured weights and die axes let you authenticate a coin against the 0.16 g, 9 mm minting standard.
| Specimen | Weight | Diameter | Die axis | References |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1880 United States 1/4 Dollar #1 | 0.18 g | 9 mm | - | Burnie.116, Breen-Gillio.799Y |
| 1880 United States 1/4 Dollar #2 | 0.16 g | 9 mm | - | Burnie.113, Breen-Gillio.799X |
| 1880 United States 1/4 Dollar #3 | - | - | - | - |
| 1880 United States 1/4 Dollar #4 | - | - | - | Burnie.799x |
| 1880 United States 1/4 Dollar #5 | 0.11 g | 9 mm | - | Burnie.113, Breen-Gillio.799K |
Specifications compiled from documented museum specimens. See our data & methodology page.
Summary: the 1880 United States 1/4 Dollar is valued between $15.51 and $168 as of 2026-06-15. Estimates combine mintage rarity, key-date status and metal content; they are editorial guidance, not an offer to buy.