KEEPERS

Owner Comments:

Jeff Garrett: This date has the lowest mintage of the Classic Head type. In terms of rarity, the 1838-C issue is slightly rarer than the 1838-D, but not quite as rare as the 1834, Crosslet 4. The 1838-C half eagle circulated widely, so it is difficult to find examples above Extremely Fine. Consequently, Mint State examples are extremely rare, with only four examples certified by the NGC to date. The finest example seen is an MS-63 that sold in 1999 for $86,250 at auction, setting the price record for the date. The Smithsonian has four examples, none finer than AU-58. All 1838-C half eagles were struck from the same reverse, which often features a diagonal die crack running from rim to rim.