1874 United States 2 1/2 Dollar Value
Depending on how well it survived, a 1874 United States 2 1/2 Dollar brings anywhere from $404 to $4,364. Its intrinsic melt value stands at $404 based on spot prices from 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 gold standard.
1874 United States 2 1/2 Dollar value by grade
| Grade | Estimated value |
|---|---|
| Melt value floor(metal content, 2026-06-01) | $404.11 |
| Good (G-4) | $404 to $485 |
| Very Good (VG-8) | $404 to $499 |
| Fine (F-12) | $404 to $524 |
| Very Fine (VF-20) | $404 to $558 |
| Extremely Fine (XF-40) | $447 to $630 |
| About Uncirculated (AU-50) | $550 to $776 |
| Mint State (MS-60) | $756 to $1,067 |
| Choice Unc (MS-63) | $1,202 to $1,697 |
| Gem Unc (MS-65) | $3,091 to $4,364 |
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.
How much is a 1874 United States 2 1/2 Dollar worth today?
A 1874 United States 2 1/2 Dollar that spent decades in circulation is worth about $404 today. One that never circulated at all can bring up to $4,364. The honest answer for most inherited or pocket-found examples sits in the lower half of the table.
1874 United States 2 1/2 Dollar specifications
- Series
- United States Coinage
- Year
- 1874
- Mint mark
- None (Philadelphia)
- Mintage
- Not recorded
- Composition
- Gold
- Weight
- 4.169 g
- Diameter
- 17.5 mm
- Gold content
- 0.12063 troy oz
Why this coin has no mint mark
The 1874 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 1874 United States 2 1/2 Dollar
Each 1874 United States 2 1/2 Dollar holds 0.1206 troy ounces of gold, worth $404 at current spot prices. Gold content dominates the value of common dates and underwrites every numismatic premium above it.
Documented examples of the 1874 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 1874 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.
1874 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 1874 United States 2 1/2 Dollar specimens
1 physically measured 1874 United States 2 1/2 Dollar example in our reference database. Real measured weights and die axes let you authenticate a coin against the 4.169 g, 17.5 mm minting standard.
| Specimen | Weight | Diameter | Die axis | References |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1874 United States 2 1/2 Dollar #1 | 4.169 g | 17.5 mm | - | Friedberg.USA.114, Breen.6287 |
Specifications compiled from documented museum specimens. See our data & methodology page.
Summary: the 1874 United States 2 1/2 Dollar is valued between $404 and $4,364 as of 2026-06-13. Estimates combine mintage rarity, key-date status and metal content; they are editorial guidance, not an offer to buy.