1838 Capped Bust Half Dollar
Circulation strike struck at the Philadelphia Mint · 3,546,000 made
- Mintage
- 3,546,000
- Metal
- 90% silver, 10% copper
- Weight
- 13.36 g
- Diameter
- 32.5 mm (lettered edge); 30 mm (reeded edge)
Original illustration. Tap to flip. Not a photograph of the actual coin.
Face value · Metal value · Small premium · Collector premium · Significant rarity. We use bands because prices change daily.
What is an 1838 Capped Bust Half Dollar worth?
In worn condition it trades for about its silver content, 0.3866 troy ounces. Uncirculated coins with full luster or attractive toning sell for more.
What would make yours worth more:
- Uncirculated condition with full original luster
- A die variety or minting error
For market prices, check recent sold results for certified coins in the same grade.
Quick answers
- Is the 1838 Capped Bust Half Dollar rare?
- No. 3.5 million were made, a typical run for the series. Condition and varieties decide its value, not the date.
- Is the 1838 Capped Bust Half Dollar silver?
- Yes. It's 90% silver, 10% copper and holds 0.3866 troy ounces of pure silver.
- Where is the mint mark on an 1838 Capped Bust Half Dollar?
- Above the date on the obverse (1838-O and 1839-O only). No mint mark means Philadelphia.
- Which Philadelphia dates near 1838 are scarcer?
- The 1836, Reeded Edge at 1,200, the 1839 at 1,392,976. So the 1838 is on the scarcer side for those years.
- How many 1838 Capped Bust Half Dollar coins were made?
- 3,546,000.
What to check on your 1838
- There's no mint mark on this one, so the date and condition are what matter.
- Don't clean it. Cleaning leaves fine scratches and an unnatural shine that collectors avoid.
- Old coins pick up damage over a long life. Look for holes, bends, scratches or signs of cleaning before you judge the grade, because a damaged coin sells for a fraction of a problem-free one.
- Judge the grade under good light. Look at the curls near the ear, the clasp at the shoulder and the eagle's neck and wings.
Circulated examples are usually traded for their silver content. Pick out the best ones: original luster and attractive toning lift a coin above melt, while cleaned coins lose most of their collector value.
The story of the 1838
At 3,546,000, the 1838 run at Philadelphia was close to the 1837 figure. The next year it made 1.4 million (1839).
It was the big producer of the year, well ahead of 1838-O (20).
Philadelphia struck the Capped Bust Half Dollar in 33 issues between 1807 and 1839. By mintage this one lands in the more common half, while the key for that mint is the 1836, Reeded Edge (1,200). Within the 1830s it's 5th smallest of 13, between the 1839 (1.4 million) and the 1837 (3.6 million).
Steam press and reeded edge (1836 to 1839)
In late 1836 the Mint used its new steam-powered press to strike a redesigned half dollar modified by Christian Gobrecht. It was smaller, at about 30 mm, with a reeded edge in place of the lettered one. Only 1,200 reeded edge halves are dated 1836. Lettered edge halves were also struck that year, including an error with 50 over 00 in the denomination.
The 1837 reverse reads 50 CENTS, while 1838 and 1839 read HALF DOL. The 1837 coins were the first struck to the new standard of 90 percent silver and 13.36 grams. New Orleans struck about 20 halves in 1838. They are among the rarest of all American silver coins. The 1838-O and 1839-O carry their mint mark on the obverse above the date, an unusual position. The Seated Liberty half replaced the design later in 1839.
Elsewhere in US coinage in 1838
Three branch mints opened in 1838: New Orleans, Louisiana and the gold-only mints at Charlotte, North Carolina and Dahlonega, Georgia. The Liberty Seated design reached the quarter.
How to recognize it
John Reich's Liberty faces left in a cloth cap with a band inscribed LIBERTY, surrounded by stars with the date below. The reverse shows an eagle with a shield on its breast and the value 50 C. (later 50 CENTS and HALF DOL.). Coins to 1836 have a lettered edge; later coins are reeded and slightly smaller. Hundreds of die marriages make this a favorite series for variety specialists.
Mintage chart
Specifications
| Series | Capped Bust Half Dollar (1807–1839) |
|---|---|
| Year | 1838 |
| Mint | Philadelphia Mint |
| Mint mark | None |
| Strike type | Circulation strike |
| Mintage | 3,546,000 |
| Face value | 50¢ |
| Composition | 90% silver, 10% copper |
| Weight | 13.36 grams |
| Diameter | 32.5 mm (lettered edge); 30 mm (reeded edge) |
| Edge | Lettered to 1836, then reeded |
| Silver content | 0.3866 troy oz (12.024 g) |
| Designer | John Reich; reeded-edge version by Christian Gobrecht |
Other 1838 Capped Bust Half Dollar issues
| Coin | Mintage | Type | Silver |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1838 Capped Bust Half Dollar | 3,546,000 | Circulation strike | 0.3866 oz |
| 1838-O Capped Bust Half Dollar | 20 | Circulation strike | 0.3866 oz |
Mintage: United States half dollar mintage figures (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0), compiled from US Mint records and the Guide Book of United States Coins. How we build these pages.