1837 50C MS64 Certification #22052773, PCGS #6176

1837 50C MS64. The 1837 is one of only two issues of Christian Gobrecht's Reeded Edge, 50 CENTS Reverse Half Dollar. The Reeded Edge half dollars with "50 CENTS" on the reverse were the first U.S. regular-issue coin series struck on a steam press. The second and final year of the 50 CENTS reverse design, type collectors naturally gravitate to the 1837 since the 1836 is a famous, low mintage rarity, and technically a pattern issue. A paltry 1,200 pieces were struck the first year, and a more generous 3,629,820 coins in 1837, making this issue an important and desirable one for type collectors. The production of more than 3.6 million pieces appears generous, however, Uncirculated survivors are scarce, and only a slender portion of these pieces achieve status as a Gem. This near-Gem is a most impressive specimen, as its original surfaces give off glowing luster and medium intensity steel-gray toning. A few unobtrusive handling marks do not detract in the least. The design elements are evenly and fully struck in all areas, with 50 CENTS and all of stars fully impressed, enhancing the coin's outstanding eye appeal. A lack of consequential abrasions further contributes to the eye appeal.

Ron Guth

The 1837 Half Dollar is a relatively common coin and it is the most available date of the Capped Bust Reeded Edge type (if one goes only by mintage).  However, it is the only common date of the "50 Cents" sub-type.  The quality of surviving 1837 Half Dollars is rather high and the PCGS CoinFacts Condition Census is filled with MS66 examples.  Unfortunately, the Reeded Edge Half Dollars have been in a sort of limbo for many years.  They were left out of Overton's study of Half Dollar varieties from 1794-1836 and no one paid much attention to them except as type coins.  That all changed in 2012 when Dick Graham published "A Registry of Die Varieties of Reeded Edge Half Dollars."  Mr. Graham identified 25 different die varieties of the 1837 Half Dollars, some of which turned out to be quite rare.  In the intervening years, more and more collectors have embraced this date and the challenges presented by attempting to obtain each of the different die varieties.

As far as quality goes, one of the finest 1837 Half Dollars is the D. Brent Pogue example that sold in May 2016 as a PCGS MS67 for a record price of $111,625.