1915-S 50C MS67 Certification #19806560, PCGS #6534

Laibstain. This coin is very lustrous and has nice fields. It is very tough in grade MS 65 and is downright nearly impossible to find in MS 66 and above. This is surprising given that it is the last S mint in the series and uncirculated rolls were apparently saved. Tied for finest known with the Duckor coin, a toned example. Steve Duckor looked long and hard to find his MS 67 example which ended up being one of the last upgrade coins he acquired for his set. This issue completes the set as usually collected, starting in 1892 and ending in 1915, with coins listed usually in order of mints where made, Philadelphia, Denver, New Orleans, and San Francisco, as appropriate for each given year. Our set starts off with a beautifully toned 1892 Philadelphia issue and ends with a lustrous white 1915-S, both in superb gem MS 67 condition; bookends if you will. In comparing notes with other Barber Half Dollar collectors and knowledgeable dealers, the early years tend to have coins with the prettier toning, and later dates are more often hard to find with such nice toning; they are more often lightly toned to bright white. Some of these differences may be explained by how the coins were originally stored and maintained, knowing that many early dates were likely placed in paper envelopes or in wooden drawers or cabinets, with some of the later years stored as rolls for some time. We hope you enjoy looking at this set incuding the beautiful images from Phil at PCGS, and reading my descriptions of the coins. We are definitely passionate about our Barber Half Set, and it has and continues to provide great fun!

Ron Guth

The 1915-S Half Dollar is the third most plentiful date in Mint State.  However, it is nowhere near as plentiful as the 1892 or the 1915-D.  Nonetheless, collectors should have no trouble at all finding examples in MS62 to MS65.  Slightly more than a dozen examples have been certified at the MS66 level.  For those who seek the best, a couple of MS67's round out the grading curve.  Much ado has been made about this being the final date of the series, and that may have something to do with the plethora of Mint State examples.  Collectors continue to be fascinated by the first and last year of a design's appearance and disappearance, respectively, much to the benefit of modern collectors.

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David Akers

Although not really a really rare issue, the 1915-S is certainly more difficult to locate than the 1915-D and some of the Philadelphia Mint issues in the series. It is, however, by a significant margin, the most often available Barber Half Dollar from the San Francisco Mint in all mint state grades, including Gem condition.