1881 Liberty Head $2.50 Gold Coin

The 1881 Liberty Head $2.50 Gold Coin was designed by Christian Gobrecht. Only the Philadelphia mint produced Liberty Head $2.50 Gold Coins in 1881, striking just 640 pieces that year. Very few of these coins have survived the more than hundred year journey to today, and as a result, collectors are willing to shell out a lot of money for them. Even in poor condition, these coins are a prize in the eyes of the collector.

The Liberty Head $2.50 Gold Coins are made from a composition consisting of 90 percent gold and 10 percent copper, which is the usual makeup of gold coins from the period. Liberty Head Gold Coins weigh 4.18 grams and measure 18 millimeters wide, making them about as wide as a standard dime.

Grading the 1881 Liberty Head $2.50 Gold Coin

For collectors, only coins in excellent condition will sell for high prices. This is why when a collector is given the chance to get their hands on a coin like the 1881 Liberty Head $2.50 Gold Coin, they will most often pay close attention to the condition it is in. Naturally, because of how useful these coins were when they were produced, most have incurred a good bit of damage.

Normally, the process of judging the condition of a coin is known as grading and is done by a professional company. Understanding that not everyone has the time and money to send their coin away for grading, we have provided specifications below that will give you a better idea of what characteristics apply to coins of a specific grade.

Uncirculated: A 1881 Liberty Head $2.50 Gold Coin that has been graded as being Uncirculated is one that never exchanged hands on the open market. Instead, these coins were almost immediately preserved as soon as they were produced. You will find that even under close inspection these coins show absolutely no signs of wear or damage whatsoever.

Extremely Fine: A coin that is graded to be in this condition is one that spent only a very limited amount of time in circulation. Because of the limited nature of this coin’s time on the open exchange market, the damage incurred is extremely light in nature. Only under close inspection will you be able to see the light scratching on the coin’s faces.

Fine: If a Liberty Head $2.50 Gold Coin is graded to be Fine, the coin will have had to been circulated for a good bit of time. During this time, the coin will have incurred a good bit of noticeable damage, but not so much damage that the coin’s inscriptions or images have been compromised. All in all, the condition of coins given this grade is average.

Good: A coin that is graded as being Good was heavily circulated and incurred a lot of damage during the process. These coins will be complete with heavy scratching, chipping, and other blemishes. These are the most affordable, but they are not necessarily the most attractive additions to a collection.

Pricing the 1881 Liberty Head $2.50 Gold Coin

When it comes to determining a price for the 1881 Liberty Head $2.50 Gold Coins, it is safe to say that the condition it is in means everything. Because these coins are so old and no others are being found, the price you will pay will directly coincide with its condition. Below is a chart aimed at giving you a better idea as to what the Liberty Head $2.50 Gold Coin from 1881, is valued at given its grade.

Liberty Head $2.5 Gold Coin

DATE	GOOD	FINE	EXTREMELY FINE	UNCIRCULATED
1881 Liberty Head $2.5 Gold Coin	N/A	N/A	$3,000	$5,000
Source: Red Book