1873 United States 2 1/2 Dollar Value
A 1873 United States 2 1/2 Dollar is worth roughly $403 to $4,348 depending on its condition. Its intrinsic melt value stands at $403 based on spot prices from 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.
1873 United States 2 1/2 Dollar value by grade
| Grade | Estimated value |
|---|---|
| Melt value floor(metal content, 2026-06-01) | $402.57 |
| Good (G-4) | $403 to $483 |
| Very Good (VG-8) | $403 to $498 |
| Fine (F-12) | $403 to $522 |
| Very Fine (VF-20) | $403 to $556 |
| Extremely Fine (XF-40) | $445 to $628 |
| About Uncirculated (AU-50) | $547 to $773 |
| Mint State (MS-60) | $753 to $1,063 |
| Choice Unc (MS-63) | $1,198 to $1,691 |
| Gem Unc (MS-65) | $3,080 to $4,348 |
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.
What is a 1873 United States 2 1/2 Dollar worth right now?
At the entry level, well-worn examples bring about $403. The same coin in gem uncirculated condition is a $4,348 coin. Grade is everything: two examples of the 1873 United States 2 1/2 Dollar can differ in price by an order of magnitude based purely on preservation.
1873 United States 2 1/2 Dollar specifications
- Series
- United States Coinage
- Year
- 1873
- Mint mark
- None (Philadelphia)
- Mintage
- Not recorded
- Composition
- Gold
- Weight
- 4.153 g
- Diameter
- 17.5 mm
- Gold content
- 0.12017 troy oz
No mint mark? Here is why
The 1873 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 collectors pay for in a 1873 United States 2 1/2 Dollar
Documented examples of the 1873 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 1873 United States 2 1/2 Dollar holds 0.1202 troy ounces of gold, worth $403 at current spot prices. Gold content dominates the value of common dates and underwrites every numismatic premium above it.
Context adds the final layer to the 1873 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.
1873 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 1873 United States 2 1/2 Dollar specimens
2 physically measured 1873 United States 2 1/2 Dollar examples in our reference database. Real measured weights and die axes let you authenticate a coin against the 4.153 g, 17.5 mm minting standard.
| Specimen | Weight | Diameter | Die axis | References |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1873 United States 2 1/2 Dollar #1 | 4.153 g | 18 mm | - | Friedberg.USA.114, Breen.6284 |
| 1873 United States 2 1/2 Dollar #2 | 4.196 g | 17.5 mm | - | Friedberg.USA.119, Breen.6286 |
Specifications compiled from documented museum specimens. See our data & methodology page.
Summary: the 1873 United States 2 1/2 Dollar is valued between $403 and $4,348 as of 2026-06-13. Estimates combine mintage rarity, key-date status and metal content; they are editorial guidance, not an offer to buy.