At one time the 1913-S Indian Head Half Eagle was considered to be one of the rarest dates in the series in terms of its overall rarity. There have been a number of pieces that have been found in overseas sources in the past few years but these are generally circulated coins or low end Uncirculated examples that grade no better than MS60 to MS61. This date remains a major rarity in the higher grades.

This date is not as poorly struck as the 1912-S but it still shows one of the worst strikes of any date in this series. As on the 1912-S, there is noticeable die deterioration at the borders that gives them a sunken appearance. The mintmark on many 1913-S Indian Head Half Eagles is quite weak and appears to be more of a blob than the letter “S.” A number of examples are also not fully defined at the centers and there may be weakness on the bonnet and on the eagle’s feathers, especially near the legs.

1913-S Half Eagle: Surface Abrasions and Dull Luster

Most 1913-S Indian Head Half Eagles have heavily abraded surfaces with most pieces showing detracting marks, often in such prime focal places as on the Indian’s cheek and in the left obverse field.

The luster on this issue is probably the poorest on any Indian Head Half Eagle. It is usually dull and even higher grade coins tend to not have the vibrancy seen on the earlier San Francisco issues of this type.