The 1795 Silver Dollar was the second round of coins to be minted by the then-fairly new U.S. Mint. Just by that statement alone, you can appreciate why these coins are so sought-after. But what are they worth after over 200 years since their production?
In circulated condition, the Professional Coin Grading Service (PCGS) values the 1795 Silver Dollar at between $1,500 and $50,000. The same firm values About Circulated 1795 Silver Dollars at between $17,500 and $225,000.
In mint condition, a 1795 Silver Dollar can fetch between $65,000 and a cool $1 million.
These prices vary so widely because there are two varieties of the 1795 Silver Dollar. The table below does a better job of comparing the values of the two.
1795 Silver Dollar Valuation Chart
| 1795 Silver Dollar Condition | Estimated Value | |
| 1795 Flowing Hair Silver Dollar | 1795 Draped Bust Silver Dollar | |
| Circulated
(P01 – XF45+) |
$2,250 – $50,000 | $1,500 – $15,000 |
| About Uncirculated
(AU50 – AU58+) |
$25,000 – $225,000 | $17,500 – $55,000 |
| Uncirculated
(MS60 – MS64+) |
$80,000 – $500,000 | $65,000 – $325,000 |
| Brilliant Uncirculated (MS65 or higher) | $650,000 – 1,000,000 | $450,000 – $850,000 |
1795 Silver Dollar: Historical Background
As you now know, the Silver Dollar Coinage for the date 1795 included two varieties: the 1795 Flowing Hair and the 1795 Draped Bust Silver Dollars. Let’s examine their history and how they came to be.
1795 Flowing Hair Silver Dollar History
The 1795 Flowing Hair Silver Dollar was the first Silver Dollar to be minted in 1795, with production taking place in the first quarter of the year. At this point, the then-fairly new Philadelphia Mint had to jump through hoops to produce these coins.
A common challenge they faced was getting the weights of their planchets right. And as you’d expect, some of their coins came up short. To remedy this rather embarrassing error, mint workers struck a silver piece into the center of their planchets. And if you study the reverse of the 1795 Flowing Hair Silver closely, you can actually see the ring of silver at the center of the coin.
Consider the image below:
The U.S. Mint also had different sets of dies for the reverse: one depicted three leaves under the eagle’s wings, and the other showed only two leaves. These dies yielded the Two Leaves and Three Leaves varieties of the 1795 Flowing Hair Silver Dollar.
Below is an image comparing the two varieties.
1795 Draped Bust Silver Dollar History
The 1795 Draped Bust Silver Dollar was struck later in October of the same year, 1795. It, too, wasn’t immune to production challenges. Among the 42,738 Draped Bust Silver Dollars struck in 1795, an unknown number flew off the production line with off-center busts.
And below is how the Centered and Off-Centered varieties look side-by-side:
1795 Silver Dollar: Physical Features
Like the coins of its era, the 1795 Silver Dollar was made from silver and just a hint of copper. We compared the physical properties of the 1795 Silver Dollars and prepared the table below.
1795 Silver Dollar: Physical Characteristics
| Physical Feature | 1795 Silver Dollar | |
| Flowing Hair | Draped Bust | |
| Color | Silver | Silver |
| Metallic Composition | 90% Silver
10% Copper |
90% Silver
10% Copper |
| Weight | 27.0 grams | 27.0 grams |
| Diameter | 40.0 mm | 40.0 mm |
| Edge | Lettered | Lettered |
1795 Flowing Hair Silver Dollar Obverse Design and Features
The obverse design you see above was the creation of Robert Scot, and it included the following characters:
- A right-facing depiction of Lady Liberty
- The legend “LIBERTY”
- 15 stars
- The date “1795”
1795 Flowing Hair Silver Dollar Reverse Design and Features
The reverse you see above was also the handiwork of Robert Scot, and it included the following elements:
- The country of Issue “UNITED STATES OF AMERICA”
- A wreath
- An eagle with its wings spread out
1795 Draped Bust Silver Dollar Obverse Design and Features
As for the obverse of the Draped Bust Silver Dollar, it was a joint effort realized by Robert Scot and John Eckstein. They included the following characters:
- A right-facing bust of Lady Liberty
- The legend “LIBERTY”
- 15 Stars
- The date “1795”
1795 Draped Bust Silver Dollar Reverse Design and Features
The reverse of the 1795 Draped Bust Silver Dollar was also the joint effort of the duo. They added the following elements to the reverse of the Silver Dollar:
- The country of Issue “UNITED STATES OF AMERICA”
- A wreath
- An eagle with its wings spread out
1795 Silver Dollar Edge Design and Features
The Flowing Hair and Draped Bust varieties of the 1795 Silver Dollar featured lettered edges. The lettering was done by then-known typographer Frederick Geiger, who included the phrase “HUNDRED CENTS ONE DOLLAR OR UNIT.”
1795 Silver Dollar: Varieties and Valuation
As we’ve discussed, there are two main varieties of the 1795 Silver Dollar. Below is a detailed account of their value.
1795 Flowing Hair Silver Dollar Value
- U.S. Mint: Philadelphia
- Mintage: 160,295
- Mint Mark: None
1795 Flowing Hair Silver Dollars are valuable regardless of their condition. As you’re aware, the minting process in 1795 yielded three varieties of the 1795 Flowing Hair Silver Dollar, and we’ll discuss their value.
In Circulated conditions (from Poor to Extremely Fine), the Two and Three Leaves varieties are worth between $2,500 and $27,500, according to the estimates by PCGS.
In About Circulated condition, the Three Leaves variety of the 1795 Flowing Hair Silver Dollar is worth between $25,000 and $75,000. Two Leaves varieties in the same condition have values that range between $30,000 and $110,000. The Silver Plugs in About Uncirculated condition are worth between $75,000 and $225,000, depending on their condition.
In mint condition, the Silver Plugs are the rarest, and they demand a premium. Uncirculated Silver Plug 1795 Flowing Hair Silver Dollars are worth between $250,000 and $850,000, depending on condition. The Two Leaves variety of the 1795 Flowing Hair Silver Dollar is worth between $115,000 and $850,000 in mint condition. As for the Three Leaves variety, those fetch between $80,000 to a cool $1 million.
If we were to compare these values and tabulate them, they would be in a table just like the one below:
| Coin Condition | Estimated Value | ||
| 3 Leaves Variety | 2 Leaves Variety | Silver Plug Variety | |
| Poor (PO1) | $2,250 | $2,250 | – |
| Fair (FR2) | $2,250 | $2,250 | – |
| About Good (AG3) | $3,000 | $3,000 | $5,000 |
| Good (G4) | $3,500 | $3,500 | $7,000 |
| Very Good (VG8) | $5,000 | $5,000 | $10,000 |
| Fine (F12) | $6,500 | $6,500 | $15,000 |
| Very Fine (VF20) | $9,000 | $9,000 | $20,000 |
| Extremely Fine (XF40) | $17,500 | $22,500 | $37,500 |
| About Uncirculated (AU50) | $25,000 | $30,000 | $75,000 |
| About Uncirculated (AU58) | $70,000 | $100,000 | $200,000 |
| Uncirculated (MS60) | $80,000 | $115,000 | $250,000 |
| Brilliant Uncirculated (MS65) | $650,000 | $750,000 | $750,000 |
| Brilliant Uncirculated (MS66) | $1,000,000 | – | – |
With value estimates like the ones in the table above, one can’t help but grow eager to know what the open market offers. We browsed through all the major online auction platforms to find the biggest sales involving 1795 Flowing Hair Silver Dollar Coins.
| Variety | Grade | Sales Price | Auction Firm |
| 3 Leaves | MS66 | $822,500 | Stack’s Bowers |
| Silver Plug | MS65+ | $705,000 | Stack’s Bowers |
| Silver Plug | MS65+ | $630,000 | Heritage Auctions |
| 2 Leaves | MS65 | $600,000 | Heritage Auctions |
| 2 Leaves | MS65 | $576,000 | Stack’s Bowers |
| 3 Leaves | MS65 | $423,000 | Heritage Auctions |
1795 Draped Bust Silver Dollar Value
- U.S. Mint: Philadelphia
- Mintage: 42,738
- Mint Mark: None
Despite having a lower mintage, the 1795 Draped Bust Silver Dollar is less valuable than similarly graded 1795 Flowing Hair Silver Dollars. The reason could be that the 1795 Flowing Hair Silver Dollar was the last of its kind, and it resembles the first coin of the United States.
How much are they worth?
First things first, this coin has two varieties: one with a perfectly centered Draped Bust and another with an off-center Draped Bust. What are they worth?
According to the value estimates on PCGS, there’s absolutely no difference in value between similarly graded Centered and Off-Centered varieties of the 1795 Draped Bust Silver Dollar. In circulated condition, both varieties are estimated to be worth between $1,500 and $15,000.
About Circulated examples of both varieties of the 1795 Draped Bust Silver Dollar have values that range between $17,500 and $55,000, depending on their condition. In mint condition, 1795 Draped Bust Silver Dollars have values that range between $65,000 and $850,000. Again, 1795 Draped Bust Silver Dollars of similar grades have equal value regardless of whether they have a centered bust or otherwise. Consider the table below:
| Coin Condition | Estimated Value | |
| Centered Variety | Off-Centered Variety | |
| Poor (PO1) | $1,500 | $1,500 |
| Fair (FR2) | $2,000 | $2,000 |
| About Good (AG3) | $2,750 | $2,750 |
| Good (G4) | $3,000 | $3,000 |
| Very Good (VG8) | $3,750 | $3,750 |
| Fine (F12) | $4,500 | $4,500 |
| Very Fine (VF20) | $6,000 | $6,000 |
| Extremely Fine (XF40) | $12,500 | $12,500 |
| About Uncirculated (AU50) | $17,500 | $17,500 |
| About Uncirculated (AU58) | $50,000 | $50,000 |
| Uncirculated (MS60) | $65,000 | $65,000 |
| Brilliant Uncirculated (MS65) | $450,000 | $450,000 |
| Brilliant Uncirculated (MS68) | $850,000 | $850,000 |
The Draped Bust may not be the most valuable 1795 Silver Dollar, but it still promises a lot of value. And you’re probably wondering what these coins actually sell for in the open market. Well, we have some notable sales that will blow your mind.
| Variety | Grade | Sales Price | Auction Firm |
| Off-Centered | MS66+* | $910,625 | Heritage Auctions |
| Off-Centered | MS66 | $763,750 | Stack’s Bowers |
| Centered | MS66 | $646,250 | Stack’s Bowers |
| Centered | MS65+ | $456,000 | Heritage Auction |
1795 Silver Dollar: Valuable Error Coins
Despite the 18th century U.S. Mint using crude techniques to strike its coins, the 1795 Silver Dollar is not famous for its error coins. But we tracked a few down and listed them below:
1795 Draped Bust Silver Dollar Struck on Smaller Copper Planchet: Sold for $375,000
We start off with a coin that was mistakenly struck on a copper planchet. It is of the Off-center Bust variety with a PCGS grading of AU55. Since it was struck on a smaller planchet, most of the coin’s details are cut out. All that’s left is what looks like a locket-size picture of Lady Liberty.
1795 Flowing Hair Silver Dollar with Planchet defect: Sold for $3,738
Here’s a coin with a defective planchet. The planchet is chipped on the reverse at the five o’clock position. The coin’s holder also reveals that it was cleaned. Overall, the coin is of the Three Leaves variety and looks decent in its EF40 condition.
1795 Flowing Hair Silver Dollar with Planchet Defect: Sold for $1,527.50
Here’s another coin with a planchet flaw, except PCGS thinks it’s problematic. So they packaged the coin in a “GENUINE” holder and skipped grading it. The coin has a severe groove on the obverse at the eight o’clock position. Lady Liberty and the Bald Eagle may be worn, but the lettering is still sharp.
1795 Draped Bust Silver Dollar with Defective Planchet: Sold for $2,070
The planchet defect on this coin manifests as a flan along the obverse’s rim at the 10 o’clock position. Flans start out as cracks on the edge of a planchet. They are caused by the stress of striking a coin, and they can chip away, leaving a nasty groove.
1795 Flowing Hair Struck Over 1794 Silver Dollar: Sold for $9,527
This coin has become some kind of legend online. It appears to be the only one of its kind as there are no other known examples. On the obverse, you can see a faint outline of the 1794 Silver Dollar it was struck over. It was graded by NGC, who bestowed upon it an AU53 grading.
1795 Silver Dollar: Is it Worth Collecting
Collecting 1795 Silver Dollars is the pinnacle of the hobby. These were some of the first coins this country ever minted, and they are very precious. As a consequence, every collector wants a piece of the action. And as you’ve probably guessed, this desire has driven the price to insane heights.
It’s safe to assume that collecting one of these 1795 Silver Dollars is an indulgence for the richer collectors. If you have a golden ticket to this exclusive club, then by any means, grab yourself a 1795 Silver Dollar.
Jenson is a professional numismatist, a dedicated coin collector, a graduate of the College of Business at Oregon State, a life member of the American Numismatic Association (ANA), and an overall coin nerd. He is the founder of Coin Value List.