In the 20-year span from 1858 to 1877, only the 1861 and 1873 Philadelphia Mint half eagle issues saw mintages over 20,000 coins. The 1858 half eagle emission was a low 15,136 coins. In 1979 Akers said, 'The 1858 half eagle is not often seen in any condition but when one is available, VF or EF is the likely grade.' A quarter-century later, Garrett and Guth pegged the average grade for certified examples at 'AU52,' but the noncertified examples likely would grade lower.