Production of the half eagle was heavy in 1836, after the 1834 Plain 4, it is the second most available among Classic Head issues, with an original mintage of over half a million pieces.      

While Classic Head gold retains a high degree of difficulty overall, the 1836 remains accessible, or in higher grades, available for a price. As Garrett and Guth write in their Encyclopedia of U.S. Gold Coins, ' ... collectors should have no problem acquiring examples for their collections, even in Mint State.' Gems, however, prove far more elusive.