1843 United States 2 1/2 Dollar Value
Today a 1843 United States 2 1/2 Dollar typically sells for $403 to $4,354, with condition doing most of the work, and its metal content alone is worth $403 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.
Melt estimated at the US 0.900 gold standard.
1843 United States 2 1/2 Dollar value by grade
| Grade | Estimated value |
|---|---|
| Melt value floor(metal content, 2026-06-01) | $403.14 |
| Good (G-4) | $403 to $484 |
| Very Good (VG-8) | $403 to $498 |
| Fine (F-12) | $403 to $522 |
| Very Fine (VF-20) | $403 to $556 |
| Extremely Fine (XF-40) | $445 to $629 |
| About Uncirculated (AU-50) | $548 to $774 |
| Mint State (MS-60) | $754 to $1,064 |
| Choice Unc (MS-63) | $1,199 to $1,693 |
| Gem Unc (MS-65) | $3,084 to $4,354 |
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 1843 United States 2 1/2 Dollar
At the entry level, well-worn examples bring about $403. The same coin in gem uncirculated condition is a $4,354 coin. Grade is everything: two examples of the 1843 United States 2 1/2 Dollar can differ in price by an order of magnitude based purely on preservation.
1843 United States 2 1/2 Dollar specifications
- Series
- United States Coinage
- Year
- 1843
- Mint mark
- None (Philadelphia)
- Mintage
- Not recorded
- Composition
- Gold
- Weight
- 4.159 g
- Diameter
- 18 mm
- Gold content
- 0.12034 troy oz
No mint mark? Here is why
Look for a letter and you will not find one. The 1843 United States 2 1/2 Dollar is a Philadelphia product, and the main mint did not sign its work at this time.
What makes the 1843 United States 2 1/2 Dollar valuable
For the 1843 United States 2 1/2 Dollar, surviving examples tell the story that mint records do not. Museum-documented specimens define the issue for collectors.
Pre-1933 gold carries two values at once: the 1843 United States 2 1/2 Dollar holds 0.1203 oz of metal ($403 today) plus the historical premium of a coin the Treasury once tried to recall entirely.
Context adds the final layer to the 1843 United States 2 1/2 Dollar. Documented United States coin types preserved in museum collections, with measured specifications for each date, denomination and mint. 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.
1843 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 1843 United States 2 1/2 Dollar specimens
6 physically measured 1843 United States 2 1/2 Dollar examples in our reference database. Real measured weights and die axes let you authenticate a coin against the 4.159 g, 18 mm minting standard.
| Specimen | Weight | Diameter | Die axis | References |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1843 United States 2 1/2 Dollar #1 | 4.159 g | 18 mm | - | Friedberg.USA.114, Breen.6166 |
| 1843 United States 2 1/2 Dollar #2 | 4.162 g | 18 mm | - | Friedberg.USA.118, Breen.6173 |
| 1843 United States 2 1/2 Dollar #3 | 4.16 g | 18 mm | - | Friedberg.USA.118, Breen.6172 |
| 1843 United States 2 1/2 Dollar #4 | 4.16 g | 18 mm | - | Friedberg.USA.117, Breen.6169 |
| 1843 United States 2 1/2 Dollar #5 | 2.79 g | 18 mm | - | Friedberg.USA.118, Breen.6171ctft |
| 1843 United States 2 1/2 Dollar #6 | 2.72 g | - | - | Friedberg.USA.118, Breen.6171ctft |
Specifications compiled from documented museum specimens. See our data & methodology page.
Summary: the 1843 United States 2 1/2 Dollar is valued between $403 and $4,354 as of 2026-06-13. Estimates combine mintage rarity, key-date status and metal content; they are editorial guidance, not an offer to buy.