1860 United States 1/2 Dollar Value
A 1860 United States 1/2 Dollar is worth roughly $13.01 to $141 depending on its condition. Its intrinsic melt value stands at $13.01 based on spot prices from 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.
1860 United States 1/2 Dollar value by grade
| Grade | Estimated value |
|---|---|
| Melt value floor(metal content, 2026-06-01) | $13.01 |
| Good (G-4) | $13.01 to $15.61 |
| Very Good (VG-8) | $13.01 to $16.08 |
| Fine (F-12) | $13.01 to $16.86 |
| Very Fine (VF-20) | $13.01 to $17.96 |
| Extremely Fine (XF-40) | $14.38 to $20.30 |
| About Uncirculated (AU-50) | $17.70 to $24.98 |
| Mint State (MS-60) | $24.33 to $34.35 |
| Choice Unc (MS-63) | $38.71 to $54.65 |
| Gem Unc (MS-65) | $99.54 to $141 |
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.
How much is a 1860 United States 1/2 Dollar worth today?
In worn but collectible condition (Good-4), a 1860 United States 1/2 Dollar starts around $13.01. From there, value climbs with every grade step: a gem Mint State example (MS-65) can reach $141. Most coins found in old collections fall somewhere between Very Fine and About Uncirculated, the middle rows of the table above.
1860 United States 1/2 Dollar specifications
- Series
- United States Coinage
- Year
- 1860
- Mint mark
- None (Philadelphia)
- Mintage
- Not recorded
- Composition
- Silver
- Weight
- 12.32 g
- Diameter
- 30.5 mm
- Silver content
- 0.35649 troy oz
Why this coin has no mint mark
The 1860 United States 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.
What collectors pay for in a 1860 United States 1/2 Dollar
Documented examples of the 1860 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.
A 1860 United States 1/2 Dollar is real bullion as well as a collectible: 0.3565 troy ounces of fine silver, or about $13.01 of metal value in every example, regardless of condition.
There is history in a 1860 United States Coinage as well. Documented United States coin types preserved in museum collections, with measured specifications for each date, denomination and mint. That backdrop keeps the series among the most actively collected in American numismatics.
1860 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 1860 United States 1/2 Dollar specimens
3 physically measured 1860 United States 1/2 Dollar examples in our reference database. Real measured weights and die axes let you authenticate a coin against the 12.32 g, 30.5 mm minting standard.
| Specimen | Weight | Diameter | Die axis | References |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1860 United States 1/2 Dollar #1 | - | - | - | Breen.4896 |
| 1860 United States 1/2 Dollar #2 | - | - | - | Breen.4900 |
| 1860 United States 1/2 Dollar #3 | 12.32 g | 30.5 mm | - | Breen.4898 |
Specifications compiled from documented museum specimens. See our data & methodology page.
Summary: the 1860 United States 1/2 Dollar is valued between $13.01 and $141 as of 2026-06-13. Estimates combine mintage rarity, key-date status and metal content; they are editorial guidance, not an offer to buy.