1867-S $5 Liberty Head Half Eagle PCGS XF40 (CAC)

Here’s a rare piece to add to your collection. PCGS reports that only 100 examples exist today. PCGS has graded 8 as XF40 with 27 finer. Collector’s Universe prices this issue at $4,750.00. In CAC, there are 8 in XF40 with 7 finer.

David Akers writes, “The 1867-S is very rare in any condition and it ranks just below the top 10% on the entire $5 series in rarity according to number of appearances at auction … The 1867-S is only available in circulated grades and low grades at that. The mintmark is very small and usually very weak.”

Doug Winter gives us some insight into this issue. In 2019 he wrote: “The 1867-S is not a highly regarded issue in the half eagle series, but it is actually the single rarest With Motto issue from San Francisco in terms of high-grade rarity. This date is extremely rare in AU55 and AU58 grades, and it is unknown in Uncirculated. The best I have seen or handled is a PCG/CAC AU58 which I sold to a New Jersey specialized collector a few years back.”

Christian Gobrecht, the artist-engraver who crafted the Liberty head design. Photo: Wikimedia Commons.