1842 United States 2 1/2 Dollar Value
A 1842 United States 2 1/2 Dollar is worth roughly $400 to $4,325 depending on its condition, with a hard melt-value floor of $400 as of 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.
1842 United States 2 1/2 Dollar value by grade
| Grade | Estimated value |
|---|---|
| Melt value floor(metal content, 2026-06-01) | $400.43 |
| Good (G-4) | $400 to $481 |
| Very Good (VG-8) | $400 to $495 |
| Fine (F-12) | $400 to $519 |
| Very Fine (VF-20) | $400 to $553 |
| Extremely Fine (XF-40) | $442 to $625 |
| About Uncirculated (AU-50) | $545 to $769 |
| Mint State (MS-60) | $749 to $1,057 |
| Choice Unc (MS-63) | $1,191 to $1,682 |
| Gem Unc (MS-65) | $3,063 to $4,325 |
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 1842 United States 2 1/2 Dollar worth today?
Start with $400 for a heavily circulated 1842 United States 2 1/2 Dollar and work upward. Lightly circulated 1842 examples occupy the middle of the range, while true gems approach $4,325. If your coin has no wear on the high points, it deserves a closer look or a professional opinion.
1842 United States 2 1/2 Dollar specifications
- Series
- United States Coinage
- Year
- 1842
- Mint mark
- None (Philadelphia)
- Mintage
- Not recorded
- Composition
- Gold
- Weight
- 4.131 g
- Diameter
- 18 mm
- Gold content
- 0.11953 troy oz
Why this coin has no mint mark
The 1842 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.
Where this coin's value comes from
Each 1842 United States 2 1/2 Dollar holds 0.1195 troy ounces of gold, worth $400 at current spot prices. Gold content dominates the value of common dates and underwrites every numismatic premium above it.
Official mintage figures for the 1842 United States 2 1/2 Dollar 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.
The series itself does some of the lifting for the 1842 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.
1842 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 1842 United States 2 1/2 Dollar specimens
2 physically measured 1842 United States 2 1/2 Dollar examples in our reference database. Real measured weights and die axes let you authenticate a coin against the 4.131 g, 18 mm minting standard.
| Specimen | Weight | Diameter | Die axis | References |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1842 United States 2 1/2 Dollar #1 | 4.146 g | 18 mm | - | Friedberg.USA.118, Breen.6165 |
| 1842 United States 2 1/2 Dollar #2 | 4.131 g | 18 mm | - | Friedberg.USA.114, Breen.6162 |
Specifications compiled from documented museum specimens. See our data & methodology page.
Summary: the 1842 United States 2 1/2 Dollar is valued between $400 and $4,325 as of 2026-06-15. Estimates combine mintage rarity, key-date status and metal content; they are editorial guidance, not an offer to buy.