This coin is in the distinct minority among extant 1915-S Indian half eagles in a number of ways. For one, the luster is bright, vibrant and satiny while most Mint State survivors exhibit a more subdued frosty finish, often with considerable granularity. The color is also brighter than expected, a beautiful golden-yellow shade. Finally, the coin is fully Choice Mint State quality, head and shoulders above the average survivor. The only "typical" feature is the strike, overall sharp with an S mintmark that, while readily identifiable, is not fully outlined. As pretty as any 1915-S Indian half eagle that we have ever handled, this impressive condition rarity belongs in the finest collection of 20th century gold. The penultimate San Francisco Mint half eagle, the 1915-S is one of the leading rarities of this challenging design type. Only 164,000 pieces were produced. Unlike many other issues of this type, the 1915-S is scarce even in circulated grades. The typical Mint State survivor is a heavily abraded coin grading MS-60, MS-61 or MS-62, and even such pieces are very scarce. This issue is rare in Choice Mint State, as here, and all but unknown as a Gem. In terms of total number of Mint State coins believed extant, the 1915-S is the fifth rarest Indian half eagle after the 1909-O, 1911-D, 1909-S and 1912-S. Considering high grades pieces only, the 1915-S is ranked as third rarest of the 24 issues in this series, trailing only the 1912-S and 1914-S. The opportunity to acquire a premium quality, aesthetically pleasing 1915-S Indian $5 in Choice Mint State comes along only once in a long while, and stiff competition is expected.， Est. $13,000-$20,000
