1862 United States 1/2 Dollar Value
Today a 1862 United States 1/2 Dollar typically sells for $9.63 to $104, with condition doing most of the work, and its metal content alone is worth $9.63 as of 2026-06-01 Where your coin lands depends on wear, strike and surface quality.
Public domain image (struck or printed before 1926). Click to enlarge.
Melt estimated at the US 0.900 silver standard.
1862 United States 1/2 Dollar value by grade
| Grade | Estimated value |
|---|---|
| Melt value floor(metal content, 2026-06-01) | $9.63 |
| Good (G-4) | $9.63 to $11.55 |
| Very Good (VG-8) | $9.63 to $11.90 |
| Fine (F-12) | $9.63 to $12.48 |
| Very Fine (VF-20) | $9.63 to $13.28 |
| Extremely Fine (XF-40) | $10.64 to $15.02 |
| About Uncirculated (AU-50) | $13.09 to $18.48 |
| Mint State (MS-60) | $18.00 to $25.41 |
| Choice Unc (MS-63) | $28.64 to $40.43 |
| Gem Unc (MS-65) | $73.64 to $104 |
Estimated retail range, updated 2026-06-15. Estimates are modeled from mintage rarity and metal content, not auction records. Actual sale prices vary with certification, eye appeal and market timing.
Today's value of the 1862 United States 1/2 Dollar
At the entry level, well-worn examples bring about $9.63. The same coin in gem uncirculated condition is a $104 coin. Grade is everything: two examples of the 1862 United States 1/2 Dollar can differ in price by an order of magnitude based purely on preservation.
1862 United States 1/2 Dollar specifications
- Series
- United States Coinage
- Year
- 1862
- Mint mark
- None (Philadelphia)
- Mintage
- Not recorded
- Composition
- Silver
- Weight
- 9.114 g
- Diameter
- 30 mm
- Silver content
- 0.26372 troy oz
Why there is no letter on this coin
Philadelphia struck the 1862 United States 1/2 Dollar, and Philadelphia coins of this period carry no mint mark at all. An empty space at the usual mint mark position (see the series guide) confirms a Philadelphia strike, not a flaw.
Why the 1862 United States 1/2 Dollar is worth money
Without a firm mintage figure, the 1862 United States 1/2 Dollar trades on what actually turns up. Documented museum specimens give collectors a benchmark for authenticity and typical preservation.
Every 1862 United States 1/2 Dollar contains 0.2637 troy ounces of pure silver, currently worth $9.63. That intrinsic value is a hard floor under the price: no matter how worn the coin, the silver inside cannot be graded away.
Context adds the final layer to the 1862 United States 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.
1862 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 1862 United States 1/2 Dollar specimens
5 physically measured 1862 United States 1/2 Dollar examples in our reference database. Real measured weights and die axes let you authenticate a coin against the 9.114 g, 30 mm minting standard.
| Specimen | Weight | Diameter | Die axis | References |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1862 United States 1/2 Dollar #1 | - | - | - | Breen.4909 |
| 1862 United States 1/2 Dollar #2 | - | - | - | Breen.4910 |
| 1862 United States 1/2 Dollar #3 | - | 31 mm | - | Judd.293, Adams.Woodin.357, Pollock.351 |
| 1862 United States 1/2 Dollar #4 | 9.446 g | 30 mm | 6 h | - |
| 1862 United States 1/2 Dollar #5 | 9.114 g | 30 mm | - | - |
Specifications compiled from documented museum specimens. See our data & methodology page.
Summary: the 1862 United States 1/2 Dollar is valued between $9.63 and $104 as of 2026-06-15. Estimates combine mintage rarity, key-date status and metal content; they are editorial guidance, not an offer to buy.