1862 United States 2 1/2 Dollar Value
A 1862 United States 2 1/2 Dollar is worth roughly $405 to $4,374 depending on its condition, with a hard melt-value floor of $405 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.
1862 United States 2 1/2 Dollar value by grade
| Grade | Estimated value |
|---|---|
| Melt value floor(metal content, 2026-06-01) | $404.98 |
| Good (G-4) | $405 to $486 |
| Very Good (VG-8) | $405 to $501 |
| Fine (F-12) | $405 to $525 |
| Very Fine (VF-20) | $405 to $559 |
| Extremely Fine (XF-40) | $448 to $632 |
| About Uncirculated (AU-50) | $551 to $778 |
| Mint State (MS-60) | $757 to $1,069 |
| Choice Unc (MS-63) | $1,205 to $1,701 |
| Gem Unc (MS-65) | $3,098 to $4,374 |
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.
How much is a 1862 United States 2 1/2 Dollar worth today?
At the entry level, well-worn examples bring about $405. The same coin in gem uncirculated condition is a $4,374 coin. Grade is everything: two examples of the 1862 United States 2 1/2 Dollar can differ in price by an order of magnitude based purely on preservation.
1862 United States 2 1/2 Dollar specifications
- Series
- United States Coinage
- Year
- 1862
- Mint mark
- None (Philadelphia)
- Mintage
- Not recorded
- Composition
- Gold
- Weight
- 4.178 g
- Diameter
- 17.5 mm
- Gold content
- 0.12089 troy oz
No mint mark? Here is why
The 1862 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.
What makes the 1862 United States 2 1/2 Dollar valuable
With 0.1209 oz of fine gold inside ($405 of metal at today's prices), a 1862 United States 2 1/2 Dollar can never trade below its bullion value, and rarer dates stack collector premiums on top.
Documented examples of the 1862 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.
Context adds the final layer to the 1862 United States 2 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 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 1862 United States 2 1/2 Dollar specimens
1 physically measured 1862 United States 2 1/2 Dollar example in our reference database. Real measured weights and die axes let you authenticate a coin against the 4.178 g, 17.5 mm minting standard.
| Specimen | Weight | Diameter | Die axis | References |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1862 United States 2 1/2 Dollar #1 | 4.178 g | 17.5 mm | - | Friedberg.USA.114, Breen.6260 |
Specifications compiled from documented museum specimens. See our data & methodology page.
Summary: the 1862 United States 2 1/2 Dollar is valued between $405 and $4,374 as of 2026-06-15. Estimates combine mintage rarity, key-date status and metal content; they are editorial guidance, not an offer to buy.