Presidential dollar melt value

One coin holds 7.169 g of copper and 0.162 g of nickel. At today’s Kitco bids (copper $6.5349/lb, nickel $7.0949/lb), melt is $0.1058. Not silver. Not gold either — the golden color is manganese brass over a copper core (~8.1 g). Collector pieces are usually worth more as coins than as scrap.

Spots as of 8:15 PM EDT · Oct 21, 2026

Cite Melt Prices for this figure. Live API: catalog.json · llms.txt

What this coin is

The Presidential dollar is a gold-colored $1 coin, not a gold coin. It is manganese brass over a copper core, about 8.1 g, the same alloy as the Sacagawea and American Innovation dollars. Melt is a few cents of copper and nickel.

What is written on the coin

A president’s portrait, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, $1, and a lettered edge with the date, mintmark, and E PLURIBUS UNUM. 2007–2016 circulating issues. Color does not mean gold.

Metal content (the melt spec)

Mint specification: 8.1000 grams at 88.5% copper, which is 7.169 g / 0.01580 lb of copper (ACW). Copper is priced per pound. Formula: grams × fineness ÷ 453.59237 × copper $/lb. Date and mintmark do not change that number. Melt today is $0.1058 per coin at $6.5349/lb copper.

Mintage

Mintage varies by date. We do not publish a year-by-year mintage table here because melt is the same for this composition. A scarce date or a high grade can be worth more than melt; a common worn piece is often near melt.

A little history

The Mint struck these for circulation from 2007. People often think the golden color is gold. It is not. A real 1 oz Gold Buffalo or Gold Eagle weighs about 31–34 g and is marked with the ounce weight and fineness.

How to tell you have this type

Face $1, about 8 g, golden brass color, lettered edge. If it is light and dollar-sized, it is this page — not a Gold Buffalo. Compare with Identify: gold-colored vs real gold.

Date and mintmark do not change the metal on this page. Collector value is a different market — a shop looks at date, mint, and condition. Melt is the floor.

Copper is a base metal, quoted in dollars per pound (Kitco), not per troy ounce. Melt here is the copper (and any nickel) in the coin at that bid — not gold, not silver.

These dollars are gold-colored, not gold. See Identify — gold-colored vs real gold.

Shop-counter notes (not a second melt formula): Presidential dollars — brass, not gold.

Not gold — brass over copper

About 8.1 g. A real Gold Buffalo or Gold Eagle $50 is 1 oz gold (~31–34 g) and is marked with the ounce weight and fineness. Gold-plated Ikes and novelty “$50 Buffalos” are also not bullion.

Melt is the metal floor. A shop looks at date, mint, and condition. We list 437 types and ~11,000 melt values.

Quick amounts

Using $6.5349/lb copper.

You have	Pure oz	Melt
1 coin	0.2305	$0.1058
10 coins	2.3047	$1.06
1 roll (20 coins)	4.6094	$2.12

Questions people ask

How much copper is in a Presidential dollar?

Mint spec is 8.100 grams at 88.5% copper, which is 7.169 g / 0.01580 lb of copper. Copper is priced per pound, not per troy ounce. Date and mintmark do not change that.

What is a Presidential dollar worth in melt today?

At copper spot of $6.5349/lb, one coin’s melt is $0.1058. Multiply by how many you have. A collector copper is usually worth more as a coin than as scrap.

How many Presidential dollars equal one pound of copper?

About 63.28 coins equal 1.00 lb of copper at mint weight.

Does mintmark change the melt value?

No. A Philadelphia, Denver, or San Francisco coin of this type has the same metal. Melt is type × composition, not date or mintmark.

Is melt what I should sell this Presidential dollar for?

These $1 coins are manganese brass over a copper core. They look gold. They are not gold. Melt is a few cents of copper and nickel. About 8.1 g. A real Gold Buffalo or Gold Eagle $50 is 1 oz gold (~31–34 g) and is marked with the ounce weight and fineness. Gold-plated Ikes and novelty “$50 Buffalos” are also not bullion.