1887 Liberty Head Half Eagle Value
Depending on how well it survived, a 1887 Liberty Head Half Eagle brings anywhere from $6,199 to $860,906, 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.
1887 Liberty Head Half Eagle value by grade
| Grade | Estimated value |
|---|---|
| Melt value floor(metal content, 2026-06-01) | $810.26 |
| Good (G-4) | $6,199 to $9,115 |
| Very Good (VG-8) | $8,953 to $13,167 |
| Fine (F-12) | $13,086 to $19,244 |
| Very Fine (VF-20) | $20,662 to $30,385 |
| Extremely Fine (XF-40) | $34,436 to $50,642 |
| About Uncirculated (AU-50) | $58,542 to $86,091 |
| Mint State (MS-60) | $103,309 to $151,925 |
| Choice Unc (MS-63) | $192,843 to $283,593 |
| Gem Unc (MS-65) | $585,416 to $860,906 |
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.
How much is a 1887 Liberty Head Half Eagle worth today?
In worn but collectible condition (Good-4), a 1887 Liberty Head Half Eagle starts around $6,199. From there, value climbs with every grade step: a gem Mint State example (MS-65) can reach $860,906. Most coins found in old collections fall somewhere between Very Fine and About Uncirculated, the middle rows of the table above.
1887 Liberty Head Half Eagle specifications
- Series
- Liberty Head Half Eagle
- Year
- 1887
- 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 this coin has no mint mark
No mint mark is the mark here: the 1887 Liberty Head Half Eagle comes from the main Philadelphia Mint, which left its coins unlettered in this era. The position where branch mints placed their letter (On the reverse, below the eagle) is simply blank.
What makes the 1887 Liberty Head Half Eagle valuable
Official mintage figures for the 1887 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.
Pre-1933 gold carries two values at once: the 1887 Liberty Head Half Eagle holds 0.2419 oz of metal ($810 today) plus the historical premium of a coin the Treasury once tried to recall entirely.
Context adds the final layer to the 1887 Liberty Head Half Eagle. coin struck at all seven historic mints, including the short-lived Southern gold mints at Charlotte and Dahlonega. 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.
1887 Liberty Head Half Eagle inscriptions & design
Obverse
************* 1887
bust l.
Reverse
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.FIVE D.
eagle facing, head l., motto on scroll, above
Measured 1887 Liberty Head Half Eagle specimens
2 physically measured 1887 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1887 Liberty Head Half Eagle #1 | 8.344 g | 21 mm | - | Friedberg.USA.145, Breen.6738 |
| 1887 Liberty Head Half Eagle #2 | - | - | - | Friedberg.USA.143, Breen.6737 |
Specifications compiled from documented museum specimens. See our data & methodology page.
Summary: the 1887 Liberty Head Half Eagle is valued between $6,199 and $860,906 as of 2026-06-14. Estimates combine mintage rarity, key-date status and metal content; they are editorial guidance, not an offer to buy.