1896 United States 1/2 Dollar Value
A 1896 United States 1/2 Dollar is worth roughly its melt value to well into four figures depending on its condition. Certified examples in top grades can run far higher.
Public domain image (struck or printed before 1926). Click to enlarge.
1896 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 1896 United States 1/2 Dollar worth today?
Pricing for the 1896 United States 1/2 Dollar depends on grade and current collector demand.
1896 United States 1/2 Dollar specifications
- Series
- United States Coinage
- Year
- 1896
- Mint mark
- None (Philadelphia)
- Mintage
- Not recorded
- Composition
- Silver
No mint mark? Here is why
The 1896 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.
Why the 1896 United States 1/2 Dollar is worth money
Official mintage figures for the 1896 United States 1/2 Dollar are not well established. The museum-documented specimens behind our specifications provide the physical reference points for the issue, and the market prices it on observed scarcity.
Few series carry the following that supports the 1896 United States 1/2 Dollar. Documented United States coin types preserved in museum collections, with measured specifications for each date, denomination and mint. A coin that thousands of collectors are actively assembling into sets never lacks for a market.
1896 United States 1/2 Dollar inscriptions & design
Obverse
****** IN GOD WE TRUST ******* (date)
Liberty head r.
Reverse
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA; HALF DOLLAR
heraldic eagle, motto on ribbon and stars above
Measured 1896 United States 1/2 Dollar specimens
4 physically measured 1896 United States 1/2 Dollar examples 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1896 United States 1/2 Dollar #1 | - | - | - | Breen.5060 |
| 1896 United States 1/2 Dollar #2 | - | - | - | Breen.5061 |
| 1896 United States 1/2 Dollar #3 | - | - | - | Breen.5062 |
| 1896 United States 1/2 Dollar #4 | - | - | - | Breen.5060 |
Specifications compiled from documented museum specimens. See our data & methodology page.