1815 $5 AU55 Certification #-26263, PCGS #8118

CoinFacts Details

Owner's Comments

Estimated grade. Ex. Woodward; Newlin (1884) Sold by Bowers & Ruddy Nov '79 Price realized $150000

Expert Comments

David Akers (1975/88)

Without question, the 1815 Half Eagle is one of the most famous and desirable of all U.S. coins. A few other coins, even of this type, may be more rare, but with the exception of the 1822 Half Eagle, it is unlikely that any other U.S. gold coin is more desirable. As far back as the late 19th Century the 1815 was highly regarded as a rarity. For example, in the famous Parmelee Sale of 1890, the 1815 Half Eagle brought $235 compared to the $42 for the 1819, $44 for the 1827, $49 for the 1828 and $52 for the 1829 Large Planchet. (The 1822 brought $900 in that monumental sale.) Although it certainly is extremely rare, the 1815 is actually not quite as rare as many people think. An estimated 12-13 speccimens are known and all of them are at least AU, most of them Unc. However, most are impounded in museums or "permanent" collections and so very few are even potentially available to collectors. Only one has sold at auction in more than 20 years, the specimen in the 1976 ANA sale (Ex Clifford Smith, Davis/Graves) that sold to Stanley Kesselman for $75,000.

Ron Guth

Varieties (1):
Only one combination of dies is known for this year

PCGS #

8118

Designer

Robert Scot & John Reich

Edge

Reeded

Diameter

25.00 millimeters

Weight

8.75 grams

Mintage

635

Metal

91.7% Gold, 8.3% Copper

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Region

The United States of America

Price Guide

PCGS Population

Auctions - PCGS Graded

Auctions - NGC Graded

Rarity and Survival Estimates Learn More

Grades	Survival Estimate The Survival Estimate represents an average of one or more experts opinions as to how many examples survive of a particular coin in three categories: 1) all grades, 2) 60 or better, and 3) 65 or better. These estimates are based on a variety of sources, including population reports, auction appearances, and personal knowledge. Survival estimates include coins that are raw, certified by PCGS, and certified by other grading services.	Numismatic Rarity Numismatic Rarity converts the Survival Estimate for a particular coin into a number from 1 to 10 (with decimal increments) based on the PCGS Rarity Scale. The higher the number, the more rare the coin.	Relative Rarity by Type Relative Rarity By Type ranks the rarity of this coin with all other coins of this Type. Lower numbers indicate rarer coins.	Relative Rarity by Series Relative Rarity By Series ranks the rarity of this coin with all other coins of this Series. Lower numbers indicate rarer coins.
65 or Better	13	R-9.4	6 / 22 TIE	9 / 42 TIE
All Grades	5	R-9.7	4 / 22 TIE	7 / 42 TIE
60 or Better	1	R-10.0	1 / 22 TIE	1 / 42 TIE

Survival Estimate The Survival Estimate represents an average of one or more experts opinions as to how many examples survive of a particular coin in three categories: 1) all grades, 2) 60 or better, and 3) 65 or better. These estimates are based on a variety of sources, including population reports, auction appearances, and personal knowledge. Survival estimates include coins that are raw, certified by PCGS, and certified by other grading services.
65 or Better	13
All Grades	5
60 or Better	1

Numismatic Rarity Numismatic Rarity converts the Survival Estimate for a particular coin into a number from 1 to 10 (with decimal increments) based on the PCGS Rarity Scale. The higher the number, the more rare the coin.
65 or Better	R-9.4
All Grades	R-9.7
60 or Better	R-10.0

Relative Rarity by Type Relative Rarity By Type ranks the rarity of this coin with all other coins of this Type. Lower numbers indicate rarer coins.
65 or Better	6 / 22 TIE
All Grades	4 / 22 TIE
60 or Better	1 / 22 TIE

Relative Rarity by Series Relative Rarity By Series ranks the rarity of this coin with all other coins of this Series. Lower numbers indicate rarer coins.
65 or Better	9 / 42 TIE
All Grades	7 / 42 TIE
60 or Better	1 / 42 TIE

Condition Census Learn More

Pos	Grade	Pedigree and History
1	MS65 PCGS grade	Likely from the Guttag Brothers, by sale, late 1925 (per the Pogue catalog) - Virgil Brand Collection - Burdette G. Johnson - J.F. Bell (per an invoice to Bell dated 11/15/1945) - Hollinbeck Coin Company FPL 28 (1946) - Hollinbeck Coin Company 12/1951:1819 - Charles E. Green - Ruth Green (ad in the 4/1952 issue of The Numismatist) - H.P. Graves Collection Collection - Stack’s 4/1954:1447 - Dr. Clifford Smith Collection - Stack’s 5/1955:1680 - George O. Walton Estate - Stack’s 8/1976:2935 - Stanley Kesselman - R.E. "Ted" Naftzger, Jr. Collection - Paramount Naftzger FPL, 1981, sold privately in 2/1982 - D. Brent Pogue Collection - Stack's/Bowers 2/2016:3149, $822,500
2	MS64 PCGS grade	Mendes I. Cohen Collection - Edward Cogan 10/1875:138 - Heman Ely - Woodward 1/1884:830, not sold - W. Elliot Woodward inventory - Harold P. Newlin Collection - T. Harrison Garrett Collection - Robert Garrett Collection - John Work Garrett Collection - Johns Hopkins University Collection - Bowers & Ruddy 11/1979:460, $150,000 - Paramount “Auction '84” 7/1984:901 - Deb-Ann Collection - Heritage 1/2009:4062, $460,000
3	MS60 estimated grade	National Numismatic Collection at the Smithsonian Institution
4	AU58 PCGS grade
4	AU58 estimated grade	Superior 7/1993:885 - Dr. Richard Ariagno Collection - Goldbergs 5/1999:718, $165,000 - Dr. Jon Kardatzke Collection - Goldbergs 6/2000:1306

#1 MS65 PCGS grade

Likely from the Guttag Brothers, by sale, late 1925 (per the Pogue catalog) - Virgil Brand Collection - Burdette G. Johnson - J.F. Bell (per an invoice to Bell dated 11/15/1945) - Hollinbeck Coin Company FPL 28 (1946) - Hollinbeck Coin Company 12/1951:1819 - Charles E. Green - Ruth Green (ad in the 4/1952 issue of The Numismatist) - H.P. Graves Collection Collection - Stack’s 4/1954:1447 - Dr. Clifford Smith Collection - Stack’s 5/1955:1680 - George O. Walton Estate - Stack’s 8/1976:2935 - Stanley Kesselman - R.E. "Ted" Naftzger, Jr. Collection - Paramount Naftzger FPL, 1981, sold privately in 2/1982 - D. Brent Pogue Collection - Stack's/Bowers 2/2016:3149, $822,500

#2 MS64 PCGS grade

Mendes I. Cohen Collection - Edward Cogan 10/1875:138 - Heman Ely - Woodward 1/1884:830, not sold - W. Elliot Woodward inventory - Harold P. Newlin Collection - T. Harrison Garrett Collection - Robert Garrett Collection - John Work Garrett Collection - Johns Hopkins University Collection - Bowers & Ruddy 11/1979:460, $150,000 - Paramount “Auction '84” 7/1984:901 - Deb-Ann Collection - Heritage 1/2009:4062, $460,000

#3 MS60 estimated grade

National Numismatic Collection at the Smithsonian Institution

#4 AU58 PCGS grade

#4 AU58 estimated grade

Superior 7/1993:885 - Dr. Richard Ariagno Collection - Goldbergs 5/1999:718, $165,000 - Dr. Jon Kardatzke Collection - Goldbergs 6/2000:1306