A curiosity of the coin market is the disparity between perceived scarcity, principally due to original Mintage, and actual rarity due to actual survival rate. The 1918-S Half is a classic example. Considered the most common San Francisco Mint Walker pre-1934, it is easily found circulated in grades below EF (although I feel VF’s are underrated). However in Mint State, it is an acknowledged rarity. This coin is darned close, and is a 100% original true “slider”. It probably never saw any real circulation, but picked up some minor marks/scuffs while mixed in with a group of coins put aside at the end of the First World War. Food for thought … the PCGS Population in AU-58 and better is 1,165 coins as of Feb. 2023 - that is 1/100th of One Percent of the original Mintage. Add in the 750+ coins at NGC and the survival “rises” to a Kingly 2/100th of One Percent - hardly what I would call common. The far lower Mintage 1916, which being a first year issue had a far higher chance of being saved at random in high grades due to the novelty of the new design, shows 1,766 coins at PCGS alone. As expected for the grade, a few more at CAC, which currently shows 30 coins, however that is still only 1.5% of those certified.

PCGS 6576.58/46039115