Old American Coins: Oldest Types, Rare Ones and Values

Collectors usually mean one of three groups: coins from denominations the U.S. no longer makes, coins in 90% silver from before 1965, and early dates of series that are still familiar, such as wheat pennies. Age alone does not make a coin valuable. A worn 1900 Morgan dollar is common, while a 1909-S VDB cent, only a few years younger, lists $875 even in Good 4 (PCGS Price Guide, September 24, 2026). What sets value is how many were made, how many survive, the metal and the condition.

• 1792: the Coinage Act established the U.S. Mint and began regular coin production (Wikipedia). The half dime series dates from 1792.
• 1793: the first circulating U.S. cents, 11,178 large copper coins weighing 13.5 g each (Wikipedia)). Half cents also began in 1793.
• 1794: the first silver dollars, the Flowing Hair design; 1,758 were coined on October 15, 1794 (Wikipedia)).
• 1795: the first gold coins, the $2.50 quarter eagle, $5 half eagle and $10 eagle (Wikipedia).

Coins from the 1790s are rarely found outside collections and are often counterfeited; any 1790s date should be authenticated.

Years of issue from Wikipedia:

• Half cent: 1793–1857.
• Large cent: 1793–1857, replaced by the small cent (penny coins).
• Two-cent piece: 1864–1873.
• Silver three-cent piece (trime): 1851–1873.
• Nickel three-cent piece: 1865–1889.
• Half dime: 1792–1873.
• Twenty-cent piece: 1875–1878.
• Gold dollar: 1849–1889.
• Quarter eagle ($2.50): 1795–1929.
• Three-dollar gold piece: 1853–1889.
• Half eagle ($5): 1795–1929.
• Eagle ($10): 1795–1933.
• Double eagle ($20): 1849–1933. The government says the 1933 double eagle was never officially released.

If your coin shows one of these face values, you can date it to these windows even if the date is worn.

Examples with the guide and date for each price:

• Twenty-cent pieces: the common 1875-S is $139 in Good 4 and $867 in MS60; the 1876-CC, 10,000 struck, is listed from $278,936 in AU50. The 1877 and 1878 had mintages of only 510 and 600 (USA CoinBook, February 2026).
• Two-cent pieces: about $25 to $61 in Good 4 and $217 to $1,878 in MS63; the 1872 had a mintage of 65,000 (USA CoinBook, February 2026).
• Morgan dollars: common dates $76 in Good 4 and $111 in MS60; the 1893-S is $4,981 in Good 4 and the 1889-CC $1,165 (USA CoinBook, February 2026).
• Peace dollars: the 1928 with no mint mark is $287 in Good 4; see Peace dollar mint marks.
• Indian Head cents: at least about $2.50 each; see Indian Head penny value.
• Lincoln cents: the 1909-S VDB is $875 in Good 4 (PCGS, September 24, 2026); see most valuable wheat pennies.

Before 1965 the circulating dime, quarter and half dollar were 90% silver. The Coinage Act of 1965, signed on July 23, 1965, removed silver from the dime and quarter and cut the half dollar to 40% silver; silver left the half dollar entirely in 1970 (Wikipedia). So the quickest sort for a jar of old coins is the date: a dime, quarter or half dollar dated 1964 or earlier is silver, and its edge shows no copper stripe. Silver dollars from 1935 and earlier are also 90% silver; one Peace dollar held $49.90 of silver on September 25, 2026 (USA CoinBook).

Not real gold ones. U.S. gold dollars were struck from 1849 to 1889 in 90% gold and now trade only between collectors (Wikipedia)). The "golden" dollars issued since 2000 (Sacagawea, Native American and Presidential dollars) contain no gold: they have a copper core clad in manganese brass. Since 2012 new dollar coins have been made only for collectors and are ordered from the Mint, while pre-2012 circulation dollars can still be obtained from most U.S. banks (Wikipedia)).

• Read the denomination and date. Use the list above to place it. If the date is gone, see identify a coin without a date.
• Find the mint mark. Its position changes by series; see reading dates and mint marks.
• Check the metal. Silver coins before 1965 have no copper stripe on the edge; the 1943 cent is steel.
• Do not clean it. Cleaning can remove most of the value; see coin care and cleaning.
• Judge the grade honestly. Price guides assume certified coins; see coin grading.
• Scan both sides in the app to get the type, date and mint mark read for you.

Research and drafting for this page were assisted by AI and checked line by line against the sources listed below. Every price names the guide or sale it comes from and its date; where we could not confirm a figure we say so instead of estimating. Guide prices are for coins certified by a grading service; raw, worn or cleaned coins usually sell for less. If you find an error, tell us and we will correct it.