 Symbolic value is a less familiar idea in philosophy than it is in Anthropology, Religious Studies, and the other social sciences that deal with production, exchange, and consumption. The main idea is that an object or act can have far more “symbolic” value to a certain individual than its exchange or monetary value on some market or other, typically because of its causal history. That bauble given to you by a now-deceased friend has far more symbolic value (to you, at least) than the monetary or exchange value that it would fetch at auction. This is because the gift had its origin in the generosity of a friend who has since died, has the ability to invoke his memory, and so on.