1846-C Liberty Head Half Eagle Value
A 1846-C Liberty Head Half Eagle is worth roughly $826 to $8,103 depending on its condition, while the raw metal inside it is valued at $810 as of 2026-06-01 Certified examples in top grades can run far higher.
Public domain image (struck or printed before 1926). Click to enlarge.
1846-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 2026-06-13. 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 1846-C Liberty Head Half Eagle worth today?
A 1846-C Liberty Head Half Eagle that spent decades in circulation is worth about $826 today. One that never circulated at all can bring up to $8,103. The honest answer for most inherited or pocket-found examples sits in the lower half of the table.
1846-C Liberty Head Half Eagle specifications
- Series
- Liberty Head Half Eagle
- Year
- 1846
- 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
How to find the C mint mark
Identifying a 1846-C Liberty Head Half Eagle hinges on one small letter: the "C" of Charlotte. On the reverse, below the eagle Verify it before pricing the coin, because a 1846 from a different mint can be worth a very different amount.
What makes the 1846-C Liberty Head Half Eagle valuable
Each 1846-C Liberty Head Half Eagle holds 0.2419 troy ounces of gold, worth $810 at current spot prices. Gold content dominates the value of common dates and underwrites every numismatic premium above it.
Documented examples of the 1846-C Liberty Head Half Eagle in our reference database anchor what we know about this issue. Mintage records are incomplete, so collector demand and surviving population drive its market.
There is history in a 1846 Liberty Head Half Eagle as well. Christian Gobrecht's Liberty half eagle holds a unique distinction: it is the only U.S. That backdrop keeps the series among the most actively collected in American numismatics.
1846-C Liberty Head Half Eagle inscriptions & design
Obverse
LIBERTY / 1846
Liberty bust left surrounded by 13 stars
Reverse
• UNITED STATES OF AMERICA • / C/ FIVE D.
Heraldic eagle
Measured 1846-C Liberty Head Half Eagle specimens
1 physically measured 1846-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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1846-C Liberty Head Half Eagle #1 | 8.286 g | 21.49 mm | 6 h | Friedberg.USA.139, Breen.6563 |
Specifications compiled from documented museum specimens. See our data & methodology page.
Summary: the 1846-C Liberty Head Half Eagle is valued between $826 and $8,103 as of 2026-06-13. Estimates combine mintage rarity, key-date status and metal content; they are editorial guidance, not an offer to buy.