1890 Liberty Head Half Eagle Value
A 1890 Liberty Head Half Eagle is worth roughly $826 to $8,103 depending on its condition, and its metal content alone is worth $810 as of 2026-06-01 Where your coin lands depends on wear, strike and surface quality.
Public domain image (struck or printed before 1926). Click to enlarge.
1890 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 1890 Liberty Head Half Eagle worth today?
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 1890 Liberty Head Half Eagle can differ in price by an order of magnitude based purely on preservation.
1890 Liberty Head Half Eagle specifications
- Series
- Liberty Head Half Eagle
- Year
- 1890
- 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
The 1890 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 1890 Liberty Head Half Eagle valuable
For the 1890 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 1890 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 1890 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.
1890 Liberty Head Half Eagle inscriptions & design
Obverse
************* 1890
bust l.
Reverse
• UNITED STATES OF AMERICA • / FIVE D.
eagle facing, head l., motto on scroll, above
Measured 1890 Liberty Head Half Eagle specimens
2 physically measured 1890 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1890 Liberty Head Half Eagle #1 | 8.364 g | 21 mm | 6 h | Friedberg.USA.146, Breen.6743 |
| 1890 Liberty Head Half Eagle #2 | - | - | - | Friedberg.USA.143, Breen.6742 |
Specifications compiled from documented museum specimens. See our data & methodology page.
Summary: the 1890 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.