The natural coloration on 1908 Indian Head Half Eagles is often a rich orange-gold hue but original pieces are also seen with a somewhat greenish color. It is easier to locate examples of this date with nice color than nearly any other Indian Head Half Eagle and this makes the 1908 a very popular coin with type collectors seeking a single high grade piece for their holdings.

The typical 1908 Indian Head Half Eagle grades AU55 to MS62 and is characterized by heavily abraded surfaces but nice color and luster. This date becomes moderately scarce in MS63 to MS64 and MS65 examples, while genuinely scarce, are far more available than any other issue in this series. A few are known in MS66 and above and these are very rare.

There were 167 Proofs produced and it is likely that around five to six dozen of these exist. They are the least rare Indian Head Half Eagle in the PR64 to PR65 grade range and it appears that a number were saved as first-year-of-issue novelties. They are very rare in PR66 and extremely rare in any grade above this. They are characterized by a grainy texture with a dark to very dark green-gold coloration. This texture and color is similar to that seen on Indian Head Half Eagle Proofs dated 1911.

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