The 1904-S Barber Half Dollar is one of the scarcest issues of the series in mint state grades. The vast majority of the original mintage of 553,038 pieces circulated heavily, leaving few surviving specimens in grades MS60 or higher. There are only ten coins certified MS65 or higher by the major grading services.
The three finest known pieces are graded MS67, two by PCGS and one by NGC. The two pieces graded PCGS MS67 recently sold at auction, realizing $138,000 (August 2010) and $126,500 (January 2011).
Even in circulated grades, the 1904-S Barber Half remains a key date of the series. Coins in problem free condition can be difficult to acquire and are in constant demand.
