1854 United States 2 1/2 Dollar Value
A 1854 United States 2 1/2 Dollar is worth roughly $256 to $2,764 depending on its condition, with a hard melt-value floor of $256 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.
1854 United States 2 1/2 Dollar value by grade
| Grade | Estimated value |
|---|---|
| Melt value floor(metal content, 2026-06-01) | $255.91 |
| Good (G-4) | $256 to $307 |
| Very Good (VG-8) | $256 to $316 |
| Fine (F-12) | $256 to $332 |
| Very Fine (VF-20) | $256 to $353 |
| Extremely Fine (XF-40) | $283 to $399 |
| About Uncirculated (AU-50) | $348 to $491 |
| Mint State (MS-60) | $479 to $676 |
| Choice Unc (MS-63) | $761 to $1,075 |
| Gem Unc (MS-65) | $1,958 to $2,764 |
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.
What is a 1854 United States 2 1/2 Dollar worth right now?
Figure roughly $256 as the realistic floor for a damage-free, well-worn 1854 United States 2 1/2 Dollar, rising steadily through the grades to about $2,764 for a certified gem. Cleaned or damaged coins trade below these figures, though never below the $256 melt floor.
1854 United States 2 1/2 Dollar specifications
- Series
- United States Coinage
- Year
- 1854
- Mint mark
- None (Philadelphia)
- Mintage
- Not recorded
- Composition
- Gold
- Weight
- 2.64 g
- Diameter
- 17.5 mm
- Gold content
- 0.07639 troy oz
Why this coin has no mint mark
The 1854 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.
The value drivers behind this coin
Each 1854 United States 2 1/2 Dollar holds 0.0764 troy ounces of gold, worth $256 at current spot prices. Gold content dominates the value of common dates and underwrites every numismatic premium above it.
Documented examples of the 1854 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.
Context adds the final layer to the 1854 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.
1854 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 1854 United States 2 1/2 Dollar specimens
4 physically measured 1854 United States 2 1/2 Dollar examples in our reference database. Real measured weights and die axes let you authenticate a coin against the 2.64 g, 17.5 mm minting standard.
| Specimen | Weight | Diameter | Die axis | References |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1854 United States 2 1/2 Dollar #1 | 4.18 g | 17.5 mm | - | Friedberg.USA.114, Breen.6224var |
| 1854 United States 2 1/2 Dollar #2 | 4.186 g | 18 mm | - | Friedberg.USA.118, Breen.6228 |
| 1854 United States 2 1/2 Dollar #3 | 2.632 g | 18 mm | - | AW.183, Breen.6224.ctft |
| 1854 United States 2 1/2 Dollar #4 | 2.64 g | 17.5 mm | - | Friedberg.USA.114.t, Breen.6224.ctft |
Specifications compiled from documented museum specimens. See our data & methodology page.
Summary: the 1854 United States 2 1/2 Dollar is valued between $256 and $2,764 as of 2026-06-13. Estimates combine mintage rarity, key-date status and metal content; they are editorial guidance, not an offer to buy.