1881 United States 5 Cent Value
A 1881 United States 5 Cent is worth roughly its melt value to well into four figures depending on its condition. See the grade table below for exactly where your coin falls.
Public domain image (struck or printed before 1926). Click to enlarge.
1881 United States 5 Cent value by grade
| Grade | Estimated value |
|---|
Estimated retail range. 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 1881 United States 5 Cent selling for today?
The market for the 1881 United States 5 Cent is driven by condition above all.
1881 United States 5 Cent specifications
- Series
- United States Coinage
- Year
- 1881
- Mint mark
- None (Philadelphia)
- Mintage
- Not recorded
- Composition
- Nickel
- Weight
- 4.95 g
- Diameter
- 22 mm
No mint mark? Here is why
Look for a letter and you will not find one. The 1881 United States 5 Cent is a Philadelphia product, and the main mint did not sign its work at this time.
Why the 1881 United States 5 Cent is worth money
Context adds the final layer to the 1881 United States 5 Cent. 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.
Documented examples of the 1881 United States 5 Cent in our reference database anchor what we know about this issue. Mintage records are incomplete, so collector demand and surviving population drive its market.
1881 United States 5 Cent inscriptions & design
Obverse
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
Liberty hd.l. wearing coronet inscribed LIBERTY, date below
Reverse
V
value within wreath
Measured 1881 United States 5 Cent specimens
1 physically measured 1881 United States 5 Cent example in our reference database. Real measured weights and die axes let you authenticate a coin against the 4.95 g, 22 mm minting standard.
| Specimen | Weight | Diameter | Die axis | References |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1881 United States 5 Cent #1 | 4.95 g | 22 mm | 6 h | Judd.1671, Adams.Woodin.1648, Pollock.1872 |
Specifications compiled from documented museum specimens. See our data & methodology page.