1849 Liberty Head Half Eagle Value
Today a 1849 Liberty Head Half Eagle typically sells for $826 to $8,103, with condition doing most of the work; the melt floor under every example is $810 (spot prices 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.
1849 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 1849 Liberty Head Half Eagle worth today?
In worn but collectible condition (Good-4), a 1849 Liberty Head Half Eagle starts around $826. From there, value climbs with every grade step: a gem Mint State example (MS-65) can reach $8,103. Most coins found in old collections fall somewhere between Very Fine and About Uncirculated, the middle rows of the table above.
1849 Liberty Head Half Eagle specifications
- Series
- Liberty Head Half Eagle
- Year
- 1849
- Mint mark
- None (Philadelphia)
- 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
The missing mint mark, explained
The 1849 Liberty Head Half Eagle was struck at the Philadelphia Mint, which used no mint mark in this era. If you find no letter where branch-mint coins carry one (On the reverse, below the eagle), you are holding a Philadelphia issue.
What makes the 1849 Liberty Head Half Eagle valuable
For the 1849 Liberty Head Half Eagle, surviving examples tell the story that mint records do not. Museum-documented specimens define the issue for collectors.
Each 1849 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.
Context adds the final layer to the 1849 Liberty Head Half Eagle. Common Philadelphia and San Francisco dates of the 1880s-1900s survive in quantity and track the gold price, making them an accessible entry into pre-1933 gold. 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.
1849 Liberty Head Half Eagle inscriptions & design
Obverse
TEMPLETON REID ASSAYER / $ XXV. 1849
Liberty head facing left wearing a coronet inscribed LIBERTY, 13 stars around, date below
Reverse
CALIFORNIA GOLD / TWENTY-FIVE DOLLARS
legend
Measured 1849 Liberty Head Half Eagle specimens
9 physically measured 1849 Liberty Head Half Eagle examples 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1849 Liberty Head Half Eagle #1 | 1.928 g | 18 mm | - | - |
| 1849 Liberty Head Half Eagle #2 | 8.41 g | 22 mm | - | Friedberg.USA.49, Breen.7784 |
| 1849 Liberty Head Half Eagle #3 | 7.011 g | 22 mm | - | Friedberg.USA.56, Breen.7933 |
| 1849 Liberty Head Half Eagle #4 | 5.744 g | 24 mm | - | Friedberg.USA.17 (fake), Breen.7772 (fake) |
| 1849 Liberty Head Half Eagle #5 | 7.121 g | 22 mm | - | Friedberg.USA.56, Breen.7933 |
| 1849 Liberty Head Half Eagle #6 | 8.41 g | 22 mm | - | Friedberg.USA.60, Breen.7790 |
| 1849 Liberty Head Half Eagle #7 | 4.843 g | 22 mm | - | Friedberg.USA.49 (fake), Breen.7784 (fake) |
| 1849 Liberty Head Half Eagle #8 | 25.64 g | 36 mm | - | Friedberg.USA.76(fantasy), Breen.7737 (fake) |
| 1849 Liberty Head Half Eagle #9 | 7.65 g | 22 mm | - | Friedberg.USA.61 (fake), Breen.7937 (fake) |
Specifications compiled from documented museum specimens. See our data & methodology page.
Summary: the 1849 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.