Ron Guth:
The 1881 Half Dollar has one of the largest mintages of the decade, but that means nothing because it was only a mere 10,000 coins. In any other series, this would be a great rarity, but not so here. The 1881 Half Dollar commands only a small premium over the typical type price, making it an excellent value for collectors and an unbeatavble combination of price and rarity. As with many of its contemporaries, the 1881 Half Dollar is often found Prooflike -- so much so that it is sometimes confused with the more common and less valuable Proofs. For that reason alone, certification is a must.