1871 United States 2 1/2 Dollar Value
A 1871 United States 2 1/2 Dollar is worth roughly $399 to $4,311 depending on its condition, and its metal content alone is worth $399 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.
1871 United States 2 1/2 Dollar value by grade
| Grade | Estimated value |
|---|---|
| Melt value floor(metal content, 2026-06-01) | $399.19 |
| Good (G-4) | $399 to $479 |
| Very Good (VG-8) | $399 to $493 |
| Fine (F-12) | $399 to $517 |
| Very Fine (VF-20) | $399 to $551 |
| Extremely Fine (XF-40) | $441 to $623 |
| About Uncirculated (AU-50) | $543 to $766 |
| Mint State (MS-60) | $746 to $1,054 |
| Choice Unc (MS-63) | $1,188 to $1,677 |
| Gem Unc (MS-65) | $3,054 to $4,311 |
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 1871 United States 2 1/2 Dollar worth today?
At the entry level, well-worn examples bring about $399. The same coin in gem uncirculated condition is a $4,311 coin. Grade is everything: two examples of the 1871 United States 2 1/2 Dollar can differ in price by an order of magnitude based purely on preservation.
1871 United States 2 1/2 Dollar specifications
- Series
- United States Coinage
- Year
- 1871
- Mint mark
- None (Philadelphia)
- Mintage
- Not recorded
- Composition
- Gold
- Weight
- 4.118 g
- Diameter
- 17.5 mm
- Gold content
- 0.11916 troy oz
Why this coin has no mint mark
The 1871 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.
Why the 1871 United States 2 1/2 Dollar is worth money
Each 1871 United States 2 1/2 Dollar holds 0.1192 troy ounces of gold, worth $399 at current spot prices. Gold content dominates the value of common dates and underwrites every numismatic premium above it.
Documented examples of the 1871 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.
The series itself does some of the lifting for the 1871 United States 2 1/2 Dollar: Documented United States coin types preserved in museum collections, with measured specifications for each date, denomination and mint. Broad, multigenerational demand for the design gives every date, including this one, a deep and liquid market.
1871 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 1871 United States 2 1/2 Dollar specimens
2 physically measured 1871 United States 2 1/2 Dollar examples in our reference database. Real measured weights and die axes let you authenticate a coin against the 4.118 g, 17.5 mm minting standard.
| Specimen | Weight | Diameter | Die axis | References |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1871 United States 2 1/2 Dollar #1 | 4.183 g | 17.5 mm | - | Friedberg.USA.114, Breen.6280 |
| 1871 United States 2 1/2 Dollar #2 | 4.118 g | 17.5 mm | - | Friedberg.USA.119, Breen.6281 |
Specifications compiled from documented museum specimens. See our data & methodology page.
Summary: the 1871 United States 2 1/2 Dollar is valued between $399 and $4,311 as of 2026-06-15. Estimates combine mintage rarity, key-date status and metal content; they are editorial guidance, not an offer to buy.