1888 United States Dollar Value
A 1888 United States Dollar is worth roughly $162 to $1,745 depending on its condition; the melt floor under every example is $162 (spot prices 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.
1888 United States Dollar value by grade
| Grade | Estimated value |
|---|---|
| Melt value floor(metal content, 2026-06-01) | $161.60 |
| Good (G-4) | $162 to $194 |
| Very Good (VG-8) | $162 to $200 |
| Fine (F-12) | $162 to $209 |
| Very Fine (VF-20) | $162 to $223 |
| Extremely Fine (XF-40) | $179 to $252 |
| About Uncirculated (AU-50) | $220 to $310 |
| Mint State (MS-60) | $302 to $427 |
| Choice Unc (MS-63) | $481 to $679 |
| Gem Unc (MS-65) | $1,236 to $1,745 |
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 1888 United States Dollar worth today?
Figure roughly $162 as the realistic floor for a damage-free, well-worn 1888 United States Dollar, rising steadily through the grades to about $1,745 for a certified gem. Cleaned or damaged coins trade below these figures, though never below the $162 melt floor.
1888 United States Dollar specifications
- Series
- United States Coinage
- Year
- 1888
- Mint mark
- None (Philadelphia)
- Mintage
- Not recorded
- Composition
- Gold
- Weight
- 1.667 g
- Diameter
- 14.75 mm
- Gold content
- 0.04824 troy oz
Why this coin has no mint mark
The 1888 United States 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.
Where this coin's value comes from
Documented examples of the 1888 United States 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 0.0482 oz of fine gold inside ($162 of metal at today's prices), a 1888 United States Dollar can never trade below its bullion value, and rarer dates stack collector premiums on top.
There is history in a 1888 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.
1888 United States Dollar inscriptions & design
Obverse
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
head of Liberty l. wearing bonnet
Reverse
1 / DOLLAR/ 1888 in 3 lines
wreath of corn stalks, value within
Measured 1888 United States Dollar specimens
2 physically measured 1888 United States Dollar examples in our reference database. Real measured weights and die axes let you authenticate a coin against the 1.667 g, 14.75 mm minting standard.
| Specimen | Weight | Diameter | Die axis | References |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1888 United States Dollar #1 | 1.669 g | 14.75 mm | - | Friedberg.USA.94, Breen.6111 |
| 1888 United States Dollar #2 | 1.667 g | 14.75 mm | - | Friedberg.USA.94, Breen.6111 |
Specifications compiled from documented museum specimens. See our data & methodology page.
Summary: the 1888 United States Dollar is valued between $162 and $1,745 as of 2026-06-15. Estimates combine mintage rarity, key-date status and metal content; they are editorial guidance, not an offer to buy.