1838 Capped Bust Half Dollar. Reeded Edge. HALF DOL. GR-9. Rarity-3. MS-64+ (PCGS).；This lovely near-Gem exhibits vivid toning in steel-blue, silver-rose and pale golden iridescence. The strike is universally sharp throughout both sides, the surfaces equally smooth with lively satin luster. The short lived Reeded Edge variant of the familiar Capped Bust half dollar type came about through the introduction of steam coinage to the United States Mint. The first working dies for the Reeded Edge Capped Bust half dollar were completed by Christian Gobrecht during the autumn of 1836. The type is superficially similar to that of its Lettered Edge predecessor, although Libertys portrait and the eagle have a more refined look, the scroll on which the Latin motto E PLURIBUS UNUM was engraved in the upper reverse field is gone, and the diameter is smaller and more uniform within a beaded border. The final-listed refinement, in particular, was meant to accommodate the close collar, a new innovation to the United States made possible by the introduction of the steam press. The close collar allowed the Mint to produce half dollars not only of a uniform diameter, but also with a reeded edge for the first time. A final innovation of the revolutionary Reeded Edge half dollar is a revised weight standard of 13.36 grams, as stipulated by the Act of January 18, 1837.<p>Gobrechts initial Reeded Edge half dollar design has the denomination expressed as 50 CENTS along the lower reverse border. This was changed in 1838 to read HALF DOL., presumably for uniformity with the contemporary quarter and silver dollar. Both types are scarce in the finer Mint States grades from a market availability standpoint, and we certainly anticipate strong competition for this premium quality near-Gem among advanced type collectors.；
