1889 United States Coin Value

A 1889 United States Coin is worth roughly $2.15 to $23.26 depending on its condition, with a hard melt-value floor of $2.15 as of 2026-06-01 Exceptional, certified pieces regularly exceed the top of that range.

Public domain image (struck or printed before 1926). Click to enlarge.

Melt estimated at the US 0.900 silver standard.

1889 United States Coin value by grade

1889 United States Coin value by grade
GradeEstimated value
Melt value floor(metal content, 2026-06-01)$2.15
Good (G-4)$2.15 to $2.58
Very Good (VG-8)$2.15 to $2.66
Fine (F-12)$2.15 to $2.79
Very Fine (VF-20)$2.15 to $2.97
Extremely Fine (XF-40)$2.38 to $3.36
About Uncirculated (AU-50)$2.93 to $4.13
Mint State (MS-60)$4.03 to $5.69
Choice Unc (MS-63)$6.41 to $9.04
Gem Unc (MS-65)$16.47 to $23.26

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 1889 United States Coin worth today?

Figure roughly $2.15 as the realistic floor for a damage-free, well-worn 1889 United States Coin, rising steadily through the grades to about $23.26 for a certified gem. Cleaned or damaged coins trade below these figures, though never below the $2.15 melt floor.

1889 United States Coin specifications

Series
United States Coinage
Year
1889
Mint mark
None (Philadelphia)
Mintage
Not recorded
Composition
Silver
Weight
2.039 g
Silver content
0.05900 troy oz

Why this coin has no mint mark

Philadelphia struck the 1889 United States Coin, 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.

The value drivers behind this coin

Documented examples of the 1889 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.

Silver content matters for the 1889 United States Coin: 0.0590 oz per coin, valued at $2.15 right now. The melt floor moves daily with the metals market and sets the minimum any dealer will pay.

Few series carry the following that supports the 1889 United States Coin. Documented United States coin types preserved in museum collections, with measured specifications for each date, denomination and mint. A coin that thousands of collectors are actively assembling into sets never lacks for a market.

1889 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 1889 United States Coin specimens

4 physically measured 1889 United States Coin examples in our reference database. Real measured weights and die axes let you authenticate a coin against the 2.039 g, mm minting standard.

Measured 1889 United States Coin specimens
SpecimenWeightDiameterDie axisReferences
1889 United States Coin #1----
1889 United States Coin #2----
1889 United States Coin #32.169 g-6 h-
1889 United States Coin #42.039 g-6 h-

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

Summary: the 1889 United States Coin is valued between $2.15 and $23.26 as of 2026-06-15. Estimates combine mintage rarity, key-date status and metal content; they are editorial guidance, not an offer to buy.