The 1838-D half eagle is likely the single most popular issue from the Dahlonega mint. It is numismatically significant as a first-year-of-issue and a one-year type and it has an important status as the very first coin ever struck at this mint. It is not often available in popular collector grades due to the fact that people who own 1838-D half eagles tend to hold on to them for a long period of time.

Housed in an older pre-barcode blue label holder, this coin has the body and appearance of an AU50+ but it has been conservatively net graded by PCGS due to an ancient cleaning which has left some hairlines on the surfaces. The color is deep and even enough to suggest that this cleaning was eons ago and unless the coin is titled towards a light source, the aforementioned cleaning is not easy to detect.

Only three PCGS EF40 1838-D half eagles have sold at auction since the end of 2004. The last sold for $5,175 in Stacks Bowers 2011 ANA auction and another brought $6,044 in the Stacks Bowers 8/11 sale.

This coin is in great demand due to its numismatic significance and it is almost never available in PCGS EF40 and EF45.