1861 United States 2 1/2 Dollar Value
A 1861 United States 2 1/2 Dollar is worth roughly $247 to $2,665 depending on its condition, and its metal content alone is worth $247 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.
1861 United States 2 1/2 Dollar value by grade
| Grade | Estimated value |
|---|---|
| Melt value floor(metal content, 2026-06-01) | $246.79 |
| Good (G-4) | $247 to $296 |
| Very Good (VG-8) | $247 to $305 |
| Fine (F-12) | $247 to $320 |
| Very Fine (VF-20) | $247 to $341 |
| Extremely Fine (XF-40) | $273 to $385 |
| About Uncirculated (AU-50) | $336 to $474 |
| Mint State (MS-60) | $462 to $652 |
| Choice Unc (MS-63) | $734 to $1,037 |
| Gem Unc (MS-65) | $1,888 to $2,665 |
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 1861 United States 2 1/2 Dollar worth today?
Figure roughly $247 as the realistic floor for a damage-free, well-worn 1861 United States 2 1/2 Dollar, rising steadily through the grades to about $2,665 for a certified gem. Cleaned or damaged coins trade below these figures, though never below the $247 melt floor.
1861 United States 2 1/2 Dollar specifications
- Series
- United States Coinage
- Year
- 1861
- Mint mark
- None (Philadelphia)
- Mintage
- Not recorded
- Composition
- Gold
- Weight
- 2.546 g
- Diameter
- 18 mm
- Gold content
- 0.07367 troy oz
Why this coin has no mint mark
The 1861 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
Documented examples of the 1861 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.
Each 1861 United States 2 1/2 Dollar holds 0.0737 troy ounces of gold, worth $247 at current spot prices. Gold content dominates the value of common dates and underwrites every numismatic premium above it.
Few series carry the following that supports the 1861 United States 2 1/2 Dollar. Documented United States coin types preserved in museum collections, with measured specifications for each date, denomination and mint. A coin that thousands of collectors are actively assembling into sets never lacks for a market.
1861 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 1861 United States 2 1/2 Dollar specimens
3 physically measured 1861 United States 2 1/2 Dollar examples in our reference database. Real measured weights and die axes let you authenticate a coin against the 2.546 g, 18 mm minting standard.
| Specimen | Weight | Diameter | Die axis | References |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1861 United States 2 1/2 Dollar #1 | 4.178 g | 17.5 mm | - | Friedberg.USA.114, Breen.6257 |
| 1861 United States 2 1/2 Dollar #2 | 2.546 g | 18 mm | 6 h | BE.7952, Kagin.2, KM.UnitedStates.74 |
| 1861 United States 2 1/2 Dollar #3 | 2.428 g | 18 mm | - | Friedberg.USA.114, Breen.6257ctft |
Specifications compiled from documented museum specimens. See our data & methodology page.
Summary: the 1861 United States 2 1/2 Dollar is valued between $247 and $2,665 as of 2026-06-13. Estimates combine mintage rarity, key-date status and metal content; they are editorial guidance, not an offer to buy.