1890 United States 2 1/2 Dollar Value
A 1890 United States 2 1/2 Dollar is worth roughly $404 to $4,368 depending on its condition; the melt floor under every example is $404 (spot prices 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.
1890 United States 2 1/2 Dollar value by grade
| Grade | Estimated value |
|---|---|
| Melt value floor(metal content, 2026-06-01) | $404.41 |
| Good (G-4) | $404 to $485 |
| Very Good (VG-8) | $404 to $500 |
| Fine (F-12) | $404 to $524 |
| Very Fine (VF-20) | $404 to $558 |
| Extremely Fine (XF-40) | $447 to $631 |
| About Uncirculated (AU-50) | $550 to $776 |
| Mint State (MS-60) | $756 to $1,068 |
| Choice Unc (MS-63) | $1,203 to $1,699 |
| Gem Unc (MS-65) | $3,094 to $4,368 |
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 1890 United States 2 1/2 Dollar worth today?
A 1890 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 $4,368. The honest answer for most inherited or pocket-found examples sits in the lower half of the table.
1890 United States 2 1/2 Dollar specifications
- Series
- United States Coinage
- Year
- 1890
- Mint mark
- None (Philadelphia)
- Mintage
- Not recorded
- Composition
- Gold
- Weight
- 4.172 g
- Diameter
- 17.5 mm
- Gold content
- 0.12072 troy oz
Why this coin has no mint mark
The 1890 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 makes the 1890 United States 2 1/2 Dollar valuable
Each 1890 United States 2 1/2 Dollar holds 0.1207 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 1890 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.
Documented United States coin types preserved in museum collections, with measured specifications for each date, denomination and mint. For the 1890 United States 2 1/2 Dollar, the enduring popularity of the series translates directly into buyers in every grade and every market cycle.
1890 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 1890 United States 2 1/2 Dollar specimens
1 physically measured 1890 United States 2 1/2 Dollar example in our reference database. Real measured weights and die axes let you authenticate a coin against the 4.172 g, 17.5 mm minting standard.
| Specimen | Weight | Diameter | Die axis | References |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1890 United States 2 1/2 Dollar #1 | 4.172 g | 17.5 mm | - | Friedberg.USA.114, Breen.6309 |
Specifications compiled from documented museum specimens. See our data & methodology page.
Summary: the 1890 United States 2 1/2 Dollar is valued between $404 and $4,368 as of 2026-06-13. Estimates combine mintage rarity, key-date status and metal content; they are editorial guidance, not an offer to buy.