1877-S $5 Liberty Head Half Eagle PCGS XF45

Save $1,725 off the Collector’s Universe price when you buy this coin!

This is a rare issue in all grades with its mintage of only 26,700. However, it is relatively affordable in XF45 when compared to specimens in AU grades and the small handful of pieces in mint state. PCGS has graded 29 as XF45 with 51 finer. Collector’s Universe prices this issue at $3,250.00 in XF45.

Another consideration is this: of the three half eagles struck in 1877, the S-Mint issue is the most collectible. There are about 300 surviving examples of the 1877-S, but there are less than 100 known of the Philadelphia issue, and collectors typically have a very difficult time locating Carson City $5 gold pieces. The half eagles were a workhorse of the Western economy. People in the Old West spent them regularly in day-to-day commerce.

Panoramic San Francisco, from California Street hill, 1877. Photo: Library of Congress.