The quality problems which the San Francisco Mint suffered through when producing Half Eagles in 1913 and 1914 were somehow cured in 1915 and the 1915-S Indian Head Half Eagle is a well struck issue which can be found with much better eye appeal than its predecessors. This is among the rarest dates in the series and it compares favorably with the 1914-S as the key San Francisco issue of this type.

As mentioned this is a well struck date. The obverse sometimes shows weakness on the feathers in the headdress, especially the first two or three. The reverse is generally well detailed with strong feathers. The mintmark on most 1915-S Indian Head Half Eagles is weak and on some it appears as a blob with virtually no definition. Examples with strong mintmarks are worth a premium and are very scarce. There is often some die deterioration at the borders but it is not as pronounced as that seen on the 1913-S and 1914-S Half Eagles.

1915-S Half Eagle: Surface Abrasions and Collectibility

This is an issue that is nearly always found with noticeable abrasions on the surfaces. Any piece that is relatively clean is very scarce and is considered very desirable by specialists in the series.

The luster on this issue is seen with a number of distinct looks. The most common texture is very frosty but others exist that are satiny with a touch of granularity. One of these is not necessarily considered better than the other but most collectors prefer the frosty look.