1840-C Liberty Head Half Eagle Value
Expect a 1840-C Liberty Head Half Eagle to trade between about $826 and $8,103, driven almost entirely by grade, and its metal content alone is worth $810 as of 2026-06-01 See the grade table below for exactly where your coin falls.
Public domain image (struck or printed before 1926). Click to enlarge.
1840-C Liberty Head Half Eagle value by grade
| Grade | Estimated value |
|---|---|
| Melt value floor(metal content, 2026-06-01) | $810.26 |
| Good (G-4) | $826 to $1,094 |
| Very Good (VG-8) | $826 to $1,134 |
| Fine (F-12) | $826 to $1,195 |
| Very Fine (VF-20) | $882 to $1,296 |
| Extremely Fine (XF-40) | $999 to $1,469 |
| About Uncirculated (AU-50) | $1,205 to $1,772 |
| Mint State (MS-60) | $1,515 to $2,228 |
| Choice Unc (MS-63) | $2,066 to $3,038 |
| Gem Unc (MS-65) | $5,510 to $8,103 |
Estimated retail range, updated 2026-06-14. Estimates are modeled from mintage rarity and metal content, not auction records. Actual sale prices vary with certification, eye appeal and market timing.
Current 1840-C Liberty Head Half Eagle value
At the entry level, well-worn examples bring about $826. The same coin in gem uncirculated condition is a $8,103 coin. Grade is everything: two examples of the 1840-C Liberty Head Half Eagle can differ in price by an order of magnitude based purely on preservation.
1840-C Liberty Head Half Eagle specifications
- Series
- Liberty Head Half Eagle
- Year
- 1840
- Mint mark
- C
- Mintage
- Not recorded
- Composition
- 90% gold, 10% copper
- Weight
- 8.359 g
- Diameter
- 21.6 mm
- Edge
- Reeded
- Designer
- Christian Gobrecht
- Gold content
- 0.24187 troy oz
Where is the mint mark on a 1840 Liberty Head Half Eagle?
To confirm your 1840 coin is the Charlotte issue, find the small "C". On the reverse, below the eagle The mark is small, so tilt the coin under a light if it is not obvious.
What makes the 1840-C Liberty Head Half Eagle valuable
For the 1840-C Liberty Head Half Eagle, surviving examples tell the story that mint records do not. Museum-documented specimens define the issue for collectors.
At 0.2419 troy ounces of gold, $810 at spot, the intrinsic value of a 1840-C Liberty Head Half Eagle is substantial, and every move in the gold market flows straight into its price.
Context adds the final layer to the 1840-C Liberty Head Half Eagle. Charlotte and Dahlonega issues, struck from locally mined Appalachian gold until the Civil War closed both mints in 1861, are intensely collected for their history as much as their rarity. Owning this date means owning a piece of that story, and demand for the series as a whole sustains liquidity for every issue in it.
1840-C Liberty Head Half Eagle inscriptions & design
Obverse
LIBERTY / 1840
Liberty bust left surrounded by 13 stars
Reverse
• UNITED STATES OF AMERICA • / C/ FIVE D.
Heraldic eagle
Measured 1840-C Liberty Head Half Eagle specimens
1 physically measured 1840-C Liberty Head Half Eagle example in our reference database. Real measured weights and die axes let you authenticate a coin against the 8.359 g, 21.6 mm minting standard.
| Specimen | Weight | Diameter | Die axis | References |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1840-C Liberty Head Half Eagle #1 | 8.317 g | 22.12 mm | 6 h | Friedberg.USA.139, Breen.6525 |
Specifications compiled from documented museum specimens. See our data & methodology page.
Summary: the 1840-C Liberty Head Half Eagle is valued between $826 and $8,103 as of 2026-06-14. Estimates combine mintage rarity, key-date status and metal content; they are editorial guidance, not an offer to buy.