1856 United States 1/2 cent Value
A 1856 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.
1856 United States 1/2 cent value by grade
| Grade | Estimated 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.
What is a 1856 United States 1/2 cent worth right now?
Pricing for the 1856 United States 1/2 cent depends on grade and current collector demand.
1856 United States 1/2 cent specifications
- Series
- United States Coinage
- Year
- 1856
- Mint mark
- None (Philadelphia)
- Mintage
- Not recorded
- Composition
- Copper
- Weight
- 23 g
- Diameter
- 22 mm
No mint mark? Here is why
The 1856 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.
Why the 1856 United States 1/2 cent is worth money
Documented examples of the 1856 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.
Documented United States coin types preserved in museum collections, with measured specifications for each date, denomination and mint. For the 1856 United States 1/2 cent, the enduring popularity of the series translates directly into buyers in every grade and every market cycle.
1856 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 1856 United States 1/2 cent specimens
3 physically measured 1856 United States 1/2 cent examples in our reference database. Real measured weights and die axes let you authenticate a coin against the 23 g, 22 mm minting standard.
| Specimen | Weight | Diameter | Die axis | References |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1856 United States 1/2 cent #1 | 23 g | 22 mm | - | Judd.177, Adams.Woodin.217, Pollock.205, Breen.1629 |
| 1856 United States 1/2 cent #2 | - | - | - | Gilbert.1856.1a, Breen.1627 |
| 1856 United States 1/2 cent #3 | - | - | - | Gilbert.1856.1b, Breen.1627 |
Specifications compiled from documented museum specimens. See our data & methodology page.