1881 United States 1/2 Dollar Value
A 1881 United States 1/2 Dollar is worth roughly its melt value to well into four figures depending on its condition. Exceptional, certified pieces regularly exceed the top of that range.
Public domain image (struck or printed before 1926). Click to enlarge.
1881 United States 1/2 Dollar value by grade
| Grade | Estimated value |
|---|
Estimated retail range. 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 1881 United States 1/2 Dollar worth today?
Pricing for the 1881 United States 1/2 Dollar depends on grade and current collector demand.
1881 United States 1/2 Dollar specifications
- Series
- United States Coinage
- Year
- 1881
- Mint mark
- None (Philadelphia)
- Mintage
- Not recorded
- Composition
- Silver
No mint mark? Here is why
The 1881 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.
What collectors pay for in a 1881 United States 1/2 Dollar
Documented United States coin types preserved in museum collections, with measured specifications for each date, denomination and mint. For the 1881 United States 1/2 Dollar, the enduring popularity of the series translates directly into buyers in every grade and every market cycle.
Documented examples of the 1881 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.
1881 United States 1/2 Dollar inscriptions & design
Obverse
************* (date)
Liberty seated
Reverse
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA; HALF DOL.
eagle, wings spread, shield on breast, motto on scroll above
Measured 1881 United States 1/2 Dollar specimens
1 physically measured 1881 United States 1/2 Dollar example in our reference database. Real measured weights and die axes let you authenticate a coin against the g, mm minting standard.
| Specimen | Weight | Diameter | Die axis | References |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1881 United States 1/2 Dollar #1 | - | - | - | Breen.5030 |
Specifications compiled from documented museum specimens. See our data & methodology page.