1909 is the only year in which Indian Head Half Eagles were produced at four different mints: Philadelphia, Denver, New Orleans and San Francisco. The 1909 Indian Head Half Eagle is the second most available of these four issues. It is very common in circulated grades and not especially scarce in the lower Uncirculated range. As with all dates of this design, examples graded MS64 and higher are very scarce and properly graded Gems are very rare. In MS65 the 1909 is comparable to the 1909-D.

This is generally a well struck issue with most examples showing good overall detail on both the obverse and the reverse. On a few examples, the eagle’s feathers at the center of the left wing are not fully formed. 

Challenges in Finding High-Quality 1909 Half Eagles

The surfaces are usually heavily abraded and many 1909 Indian Head Half Eagles have detracting scratches or deep marks which are positioned in very noticeable areas. This is a very hard issue to find with choice surfaces but if the collector is patient he should be able to locate a piece that is only modestly abraded.

The luster ranges from grainy in texture to frosty. Coins that are frosty are considered more desirable but these are also more difficult to locate.

The normal coloration on 1909 Indian Head Half Eagles is a warm greenish orange-gold. Examples are also seen with a more bright yellow-gold shade. It is becoming more and more difficult to find a piece with nice color and these typically trade for a premium among knowledgeable collectors.