1877 Liberty Head $2.50 Gold Coin

The 1877 Liberty Head $2.50 Gold Coins were produced in two minting facilities, Philadelphia and San Francisco. Between the two facilities, 37,000 coins were produced, the sad reality is only a small fraction of those coins still exist. This is the case for most pre-1933 U.S. coins, which were melted in large numbers during the 20th century.

When it comes to collecting these coins, regardless of its type, a collector will always look at the condition the coin is in. Seeing as only the most beautiful pieces are added to most people’s collections, it follows that collectors are willing to pay a hefty price to get their hands on a 1877 Liberty Head $2.50 Gold Coin in excellent shape.

Grading the 1877 Liberty Head $2.50 Gold Coin

For a coin that has been around for a 150 years, the key to a coin’s potential value lies in its condition. While some coins may be valuable regardless of condition due to other factors such as scarcity or mint year, collectors are typically looking for coins that are in pristine condition and appear to be freshly minted. Finding such coins can prove challenging, however, as most have been circulated for some time now.

When examining a coin’s condition, you are effectively assigning a grade to your coin. Grading is often performed by professional numismatists, but you can use the guidelines below to get a good idea of what a graded Liberty Head $2.50 Gold Coin might look like.

Uncirculated: The uncirculated Liberty Head $2.50 Gold Coins is the type most sought after by coin collectors. Because these coins have never been circulated, they have not been subjected to normal everyday wear and tear. A simple look at these coins will give you the impression that they were just minted today, and they will appear brand new.

Extremely Fine: Liberty Head $2.50 Gold Coins that are graded extremely fine are still coveted by coin collectors; however, these coins will have some minor surface damage or other imperfections. To the naked eye, the coin may look perfect, but under closer inspection these blemishes may be revealed.

Fine: A coin that is assigned a grade of fine has typically been in circulation for some time. Having exchanged hands many times over, these coins will show wear and tear from handling. This wear and tear, however, is not significant enough to lessen the integrity of the coin’s images or markings.

Good: The majority of Liberty Head $2.50 Gold Coins on the market today are assigned this grade. These coins have been heavily circulated, and show their age. Collectors will most often pass on these coins, and look for coins in better condition. The 1877 Liberty Head $2.50 Gold Coins may, however, still garner some interest from collectors because it is one of the first editions produced.

Pricing the 1877 Liberty Head $2.50 Gold Coin

To assign an accurate grade to a coin, you must first look at what type of coin it is. There were various types of 1877 Liberty Head $2.50 Gold Coins produced. The type of gold coin will play a large role in the coin’s value. In addition to the coin type, the coin’s condition will be of the utmost importance to collectors. Coins in excellent condition can sell for vastly more money than coins in good condition. The chart below will provide you with a good idea as to how much you may pay for a Liberty Head $2.50 Gold Coin from 1877 given its type and grade.

Liberty Head $2.5 Gold Coin

DATE	GOOD	FINE	EXTREMELY FINE	UNCIRCULATED
1877 Liberty Head $2.5 Gold Coin	N/A	N/A	$750	$1,000
1877 Liberty Head $2.5 Gold Coin (S)	N/A	N/A	$365	$375
Source: Red Book