1938 United States Coin Value
A 1938 United States Coin is worth roughly $2.63 to $28.35 depending on its condition, and its metal content alone is worth $2.63 as of 2026-06-01 Exceptional, certified pieces regularly exceed the top of that range.
Melt estimated at the US 0.900 silver standard.
1938 United States Coin value by grade
| Grade | Estimated value |
|---|---|
| Melt value floor(metal content, 2026-06-01) | $2.63 |
| Good (G-4) | $2.63 to $3.15 |
| Very Good (VG-8) | $2.63 to $3.25 |
| Fine (F-12) | $2.63 to $3.40 |
| Very Fine (VF-20) | $2.63 to $3.62 |
| Extremely Fine (XF-40) | $2.90 to $4.10 |
| About Uncirculated (AU-50) | $3.57 to $5.04 |
| Mint State (MS-60) | $4.91 to $6.93 |
| Choice Unc (MS-63) | $7.81 to $11.03 |
| Gem Unc (MS-65) | $20.08 to $28.35 |
Estimated retail range, updated 2026-06-13. 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 1938 United States Coin worth today?
A 1938 United States Coin that spent decades in circulation is worth about $2.63 today. One that never circulated at all can bring up to $28.35. The honest answer for most inherited or pocket-found examples sits in the lower half of the table.
1938 United States Coin specifications
- Series
- United States Coinage
- Year
- 1938
- Mint mark
- None (Philadelphia)
- Mintage
- Not recorded
- Composition
- Silver
- Weight
- 2.486 g
- Diameter
- 18 mm
- Silver content
- 0.07193 troy oz
Why this coin has no mint mark
The 1938 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.
Why the 1938 United States Coin is worth money
A 1938 United States Coin is real bullion as well as a collectible: 0.0719 troy ounces of fine silver, or about $2.63 of metal value in every example, regardless of condition.
Documented examples of the 1938 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.
Documented United States coin types preserved in museum collections, with measured specifications for each date, denomination and mint. For the 1938 United States Coin, the enduring popularity of the series translates directly into buyers in every grade and every market cycle.
1938 United States Coin inscriptions & design
Obverse
LIBERTY / IN GOD WE TRUST / (date) / AW (initials)
Winged Liberty, bust left
Reverse
UNITED • STATES • OF • AMERICA / ONE DIME / E • PLURIBUS UNUM
Fasces and olive branch
Measured 1938 United States Coin specimens
5 physically measured 1938 United States Coin examples in our reference database. Real measured weights and die axes let you authenticate a coin against the 2.486 g, 18 mm minting standard.
| Specimen | Weight | Diameter | Die axis | References |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1938 United States Coin #1 | 2.486 g | 18 mm | 6 h | KM.140 |
| 1938 United States Coin #2 | - | - | - | Breen.3656 |
| 1938 United States Coin #3 | - | - | - | - |
| 1938 United States Coin #4 | - | - | - | - |
| 1938 United States Coin #5 | - | - | - | - |
Specifications compiled from documented museum specimens. See our data & methodology page.
Summary: the 1938 United States Coin is valued between $2.63 and $28.35 as of 2026-06-13. Estimates combine mintage rarity, key-date status and metal content; they are editorial guidance, not an offer to buy.