1846 United States 1/2 Dollar Value
Depending on how well it survived, a 1846 United States 1/2 Dollar brings anywhere from $14.16 to $153, while the raw metal inside it is valued at $14.16 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 silver standard.
1846 United States 1/2 Dollar value by grade
| Grade | Estimated value |
|---|---|
| Melt value floor(metal content, 2026-06-01) | $14.16 |
| Good (G-4) | $14.16 to $16.99 |
| Very Good (VG-8) | $14.16 to $17.50 |
| Fine (F-12) | $14.16 to $18.35 |
| Very Fine (VF-20) | $14.16 to $19.54 |
| Extremely Fine (XF-40) | $15.65 to $22.09 |
| About Uncirculated (AU-50) | $19.26 to $27.19 |
| Mint State (MS-60) | $26.48 to $37.38 |
| Choice Unc (MS-63) | $42.13 to $59.48 |
| Gem Unc (MS-65) | $108 to $153 |
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.
What is a 1846 United States 1/2 Dollar worth right now?
A 1846 United States 1/2 Dollar that spent decades in circulation is worth about $14.16 today. One that never circulated at all can bring up to $153. The honest answer for most inherited or pocket-found examples sits in the lower half of the table.
1846 United States 1/2 Dollar specifications
- Series
- United States Coinage
- Year
- 1846
- Mint mark
- None (Philadelphia)
- Mintage
- Not recorded
- Composition
- Silver
- Weight
- 13.408 g
- Diameter
- 30 mm
- Silver content
- 0.38797 troy oz
Why this coin has no mint mark
Philadelphia struck the 1846 United States 1/2 Dollar, and Philadelphia coins of this period carry no mint mark at all. An empty space at the usual mint mark position (see the series guide) confirms a Philadelphia strike, not a flaw.
Where this coin's value comes from
Documented examples of the 1846 United States 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.
Beneath the numismatics of the 1846 United States 1/2 Dollar sits 0.3880 troy ounces of silver, $14.16 worth at today's spot price. When silver rallies, even the most common dates of this series rise with it.
The series itself does some of the lifting for the 1846 United States 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.
1846 United States 1/2 Dollar inscriptions & design
Obverse
************* (date)
Liberty seated
Reverse
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA; HALF DOL.
eagle, shield on breast, holding branch and arrows
Measured 1846 United States 1/2 Dollar specimens
6 physically measured 1846 United States 1/2 Dollar examples in our reference database. Real measured weights and die axes let you authenticate a coin against the 13.408 g, 30 mm minting standard.
| Specimen | Weight | Diameter | Die axis | References |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1846 United States 1/2 Dollar #1 | 13.408 g | 30 mm | 6 h | WB.106 |
| 1846 United States 1/2 Dollar #2 | - | - | - | Breen.4789 |
| 1846 United States 1/2 Dollar #3 | - | - | - | Breen.4786 |
| 1846 United States 1/2 Dollar #4 | - | - | - | Breen.4792 |
| 1846 United States 1/2 Dollar #5 | - | - | - | Breen.4792 |
| 1846 United States 1/2 Dollar #6 | - | - | - | Breen.4786 |
Specifications compiled from documented museum specimens. See our data & methodology page.
Summary: the 1846 United States 1/2 Dollar is valued between $14.16 and $153 as of 2026-06-15. Estimates combine mintage rarity, key-date status and metal content; they are editorial guidance, not an offer to buy.