1903-O 50C VF30 Certification #02756302, PCGS #6496

Ron Guth

Among the O-Mint Barber Half Dollars, the 1903-O is one of the tougher issues.  It is not as scarce as the 1901-O, 1902-O, and 1904-O, but it is either equal to or more rare than most of the other issues.  The strike on the 1903-O is never full and there may be some weakness on the upper right shield lines, some of the obverse stars at lower right, on the eagle's right talon (viewer's right), or Liberty's mouth.  Akers was correct in stating that this date is better-struck than most of the othe O-Mint Barber Half Dollars, but that does not mean it is anywhere near as strong as most of the Philadelphia and S-Mint issues.  Notably well-struck examples include the former Norweb-Price-Duckor (PCGS MS67), a PCGS MS66 of unknown pedigree), and the PCGS MS65+ in the "Scrotag" Collection on the PCGS Set Registry.

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David Akers

It has been written elsewhere that the 1903-O Half Dollar is generally poorly struck. However, I must say that in many years of studying Barber Half Dollars and making copious notes on them..., weak striking on the 1903-O Half Dollars is not nearly as commonplace as it is on some other O Mint issues like the 1898-O, 1900-O, 1901-O and 1902-O, for example, as well as the 1904-O and 1905-O. Compared to those issues, the 1903-O is by far the most often well struck. To be sure, some examples are a little weakly struck, but one almost never sees the flat strike on a 1903-O that the other issues typically have, and very sharp ones, like [the Price] specimen and the Eliasberg coin, are seen just as often as weakly struck ones. This issue is more available than the rarities of 1898-O, 1900-O, 1901-O, 1902-O and 1904-O, which are some of the premier issues in the series. However, it is still a rare issue in grades better than Choice Uncirculated, and relatively few exist in Gem condition. At the superb level..., the 1903-O is exceedingly rare.