1865 United States 1/2 Dollar Value
A 1865 United States 1/2 Dollar is worth roughly $10.00 to $108 depending on its condition, and its metal content alone is worth $10.00 as of 2026-06-01 Exceptional, certified pieces regularly exceed the top of that range.
Public domain image (struck or printed before 1926). Click to enlarge.
Melt estimated at the US 0.900 silver standard.
1865 United States 1/2 Dollar value by grade
| Grade | Estimated value |
|---|---|
| Melt value floor(metal content, 2026-06-01) | $10.00 |
| Good (G-4) | $10.00 to $12.00 |
| Very Good (VG-8) | $10.00 to $12.36 |
| Fine (F-12) | $10.00 to $12.96 |
| Very Fine (VF-20) | $10.00 to $13.80 |
| Extremely Fine (XF-40) | $11.05 to $15.59 |
| About Uncirculated (AU-50) | $13.60 to $19.19 |
| Mint State (MS-60) | $18.69 to $26.39 |
| Choice Unc (MS-63) | $29.74 to $41.99 |
| Gem Unc (MS-65) | $76.47 to $108 |
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.
What is a 1865 United States 1/2 Dollar worth right now?
At the entry level, well-worn examples bring about $10.00. The same coin in gem uncirculated condition is a $108 coin. Grade is everything: two examples of the 1865 United States 1/2 Dollar can differ in price by an order of magnitude based purely on preservation.
1865 United States 1/2 Dollar specifications
- Series
- United States Coinage
- Year
- 1865
- Mint mark
- None (Philadelphia)
- Mintage
- Not recorded
- Composition
- Silver
- Weight
- 9.465 g
- Diameter
- 6 mm
- Silver content
- 0.27388 troy oz
Why this coin has no mint mark
The 1865 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.
The value drivers behind this coin
Documented examples of the 1865 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.
The 90% silver composition gives a 1865 United States 1/2 Dollar 0.2739 oz of precious metal ($10.00 at current spot). Bullion demand alone supports the bottom of its price range.
Context adds the final layer to the 1865 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.
1865 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 1865 United States 1/2 Dollar specimens
4 physically measured 1865 United States 1/2 Dollar examples in our reference database. Real measured weights and die axes let you authenticate a coin against the 9.465 g, 6 mm minting standard.
| Specimen | Weight | Diameter | Die axis | References |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1865 United States 1/2 Dollar #1 | - | - | - | Breen.4922 |
| 1865 United States 1/2 Dollar #2 | - | - | - | Breen.4927 |
| 1865 United States 1/2 Dollar #3 | - | - | - | Breen.4927 |
| 1865 United States 1/2 Dollar #4 | 9.465 g | 6 mm | 6 h | - |
Specifications compiled from documented museum specimens. See our data & methodology page.
Summary: the 1865 United States 1/2 Dollar is valued between $10.00 and $108 as of 2026-06-15. Estimates combine mintage rarity, key-date status and metal content; they are editorial guidance, not an offer to buy.