1871 Liberty Head Half Eagle Value
Expect a 1871 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 Exceptional, certified pieces regularly exceed the top of that range.
Public domain image (struck or printed before 1926). Click to enlarge.
1871 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.
Today's value of the 1871 Liberty Head Half Eagle
In worn but collectible condition (Good-4), a 1871 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.
1871 Liberty Head Half Eagle specifications
- Series
- Liberty Head Half Eagle
- Year
- 1871
- 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
Why there is no letter on this coin
The 1871 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 1871 Liberty Head Half Eagle valuable
With 0.2419 oz of fine gold inside ($810 of metal at today's prices), a 1871 Liberty Head Half Eagle can never trade below its bullion value, and rarer dates stack collector premiums on top.
Official mintage figures for the 1871 Liberty Head Half Eagle are not well established. The museum-documented specimens behind our specifications provide the physical reference points for the issue, and the market prices it on observed scarcity.
Context adds the final layer to the 1871 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.
1871 Liberty Head Half Eagle inscriptions & design
Obverse
************* 1871
bust l.
Reverse
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.FIVE D.
eagle facing, head l., motto on scroll, above
Measured 1871 Liberty Head Half Eagle specimens
1 physically measured 1871 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1871 Liberty Head Half Eagle #1 | - | - | - | Friedberg.USA.143, Breen.6676 |
Specifications compiled from documented museum specimens. See our data & methodology page.
Summary: the 1871 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.