The 1911-S Indian Head Half Eagle has the second highest mintage figure of any date in this series. But it is not a common issue. In fact, the 1911-S Indian Head Half Eagle is scarce enough to suggest that a number of these were melted.

The strike seen on the obverse is sometimes a bit weak on the tips of the feathers,especially the bottom four. The rest of the obverse details are sharp, including the headdress. The reverse is more boldly impressed with good feather and wing detail. The mintmark is small and often well defined. A few are known with mintmarks that are “blobby” in appearance and not sharply defined.

1911-S Half Eagle: Surface Abrasions and Subdued Luster

The surfaces usually show numerous abrasions. This is an issue that is extremely hard to find with clean, original surfaces and many pieces show hairlines from old cleanings or evidence of having been mishandled.

The luster on this issue is not very good when compared to the other San Francisco Half Eagles of this type. It is typically a bit on the drab side and usually frosty in texture.