1838 United States 2 1/2 Dollar Value
A 1838 United States 2 1/2 Dollar is worth roughly $401 to $4,335 depending on its condition. Its intrinsic melt value stands at $401 based on spot prices from 2026-06-01 Certified examples in top grades can run far higher.
Public domain image (struck or printed before 1926). Click to enlarge.
Melt estimated at the US 0.900 gold standard.
1838 United States 2 1/2 Dollar value by grade
| Grade | Estimated value |
|---|---|
| Melt value floor(metal content, 2026-06-01) | $401.40 |
| Good (G-4) | $401 to $482 |
| Very Good (VG-8) | $401 to $496 |
| Fine (F-12) | $401 to $520 |
| Very Fine (VF-20) | $401 to $554 |
| Extremely Fine (XF-40) | $444 to $626 |
| About Uncirculated (AU-50) | $546 to $771 |
| Mint State (MS-60) | $751 to $1,060 |
| Choice Unc (MS-63) | $1,194 to $1,686 |
| Gem Unc (MS-65) | $3,071 to $4,335 |
Estimated retail range, updated 2026-06-15. 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 1838 United States 2 1/2 Dollar worth today?
Start with $401 for a heavily circulated 1838 United States 2 1/2 Dollar and work upward. Lightly circulated 1838 examples occupy the middle of the range, while true gems approach $4,335. If your coin has no wear on the high points, it deserves a closer look or a professional opinion.
1838 United States 2 1/2 Dollar specifications
- Series
- United States Coinage
- Year
- 1838
- Mint mark
- None (Philadelphia)
- Mintage
- Not recorded
- Composition
- Gold
- Weight
- 4.141 g
- Diameter
- 18 mm
- Gold content
- 0.11982 troy oz
Why this coin has no mint mark
The 1838 United States 2 1/2 Dollar 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 (check the usual position for this series), you are holding a Philadelphia issue.
What makes the 1838 United States 2 1/2 Dollar valuable
Documented examples of the 1838 United States 2 1/2 Dollar in our reference database anchor what we know about this issue. Mintage records are incomplete, so collector demand and surviving population drive its market.
Each 1838 United States 2 1/2 Dollar holds 0.1198 troy ounces of gold, worth $401 at current spot prices. Gold content dominates the value of common dates and underwrites every numismatic premium above it.
The series itself does some of the lifting for the 1838 United States 2 1/2 Dollar: Documented United States coin types preserved in museum collections, with measured specifications for each date, denomination and mint. Broad, multigenerational demand for the design gives every date, including this one, a deep and liquid market.
1838 United States 2 1/2 Dollar inscriptions & design
Obverse
************* (date)
coronet head of Liberty l.
Reverse
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA; 2 1/2 D.
eagle facing, head l.
Measured 1838 United States 2 1/2 Dollar specimens
2 physically measured 1838 United States 2 1/2 Dollar examples in our reference database. Real measured weights and die axes let you authenticate a coin against the 4.141 g, 18 mm minting standard.
| Specimen | Weight | Diameter | Die axis | References |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1838 United States 2 1/2 Dollar #1 | 4.181 g | 18 mm | - | Friedberg.USA.110, Breen.6146 |
| 1838 United States 2 1/2 Dollar #2 | 4.141 g | 18 mm | - | Friedberg.USA.110, Breen.6146 |
Specifications compiled from documented museum specimens. See our data & methodology page.
Summary: the 1838 United States 2 1/2 Dollar is valued between $401 and $4,335 as of 2026-06-15. Estimates combine mintage rarity, key-date status and metal content; they are editorial guidance, not an offer to buy.