1855 United States 1/2 cent Value

A 1855 United States 1/2 cent is worth roughly its melt value to well into four figures depending on its condition. Certified examples in top grades can run far higher.

Public domain image (struck or printed before 1926). Click to enlarge.

1855 United States 1/2 cent value by grade

1855 United States 1/2 cent value by grade
GradeEstimated value

Estimated retail range. 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 1855 United States 1/2 cent worth today?

Pricing for the 1855 United States 1/2 cent depends on grade and current collector demand.

1855 United States 1/2 cent specifications

Series
United States Coinage
Year
1855
Mint mark
None (Philadelphia)
Mintage
Not recorded
Composition
Copper

Why this coin has no mint mark

The 1855 United States 1/2 cent 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

Documented examples of the 1855 United States 1/2 cent 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 1855 United States 1/2 cent. 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.

1855 United States 1/2 cent inscriptions & design

Obverse

LIBERTY [on coronet] / (date)

Liberty bust left, surrounded by 13 stars

Reverse

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA / HALF / CENT

Value in wreath

Measured 1855 United States 1/2 cent specimens

2 physically measured 1855 United States 1/2 cent examples in our reference database. Real measured weights and die axes let you authenticate a coin against the g, mm minting standard.

Measured 1855 United States 1/2 cent specimens
SpecimenWeightDiameterDie axisReferences
1855 United States 1/2 cent #1---Gilbert.1855.1, Breen.1626
1855 United States 1/2 cent #2---Gilbert.1855.1, Breen.1626

Specifications compiled from documented museum specimens. See our data & methodology page.