1838 $5 AU50 认证号39353016, PCGS号8176

Fairmont Collection

Ron Guth

The 1838 Half Eagle is a fairly common coin as far as Classic Head Half Eagles go.  It is not as common as the higher-mintage 1834 Plain 4 and the 1836, but it is far less rare than the lower-mintage 1834 Crosslet 4, 1838-C, and 1838-D.  Akers wrote that truly choice Uncirculated examples are rare, but the PCGS CoinFacts Condition Census includes ten examples that are at least MS64 or better.  The finest example is a phenomenal MS68 (estimated grade) example in the National Numismatic Collection at the Smithsonian Institution, followed by a single PCGS MS66, then a PCGS MS65+ that is fully prooflike (and has actually been called a Proof in the past by both Walter Breen and David Akers).  Akers was correct in noting that this date comes well struck.

---

David Akers (1975/88)

As a date, the 1838 is more rare than the 1834 Plain 4, 1835, or 1836 but not quite as scarce, particularly in choice condition, as the 1837. Most specimens I have seen have been quite well struck. Average uncirculated examples are seen from time to time but truly choice uncirculated pieces are very rare.