The 1837 half dollar issue joins specialized numismatic interest and broad historical importance. Only the rare 1836 and the more widely available 1837 half dollars combine Christian Gobrecht's Capped Bust obverse with a reverse that describes the denomination as 50 CENTS. Half dollars of 1838 and 1839, while looking quite similar, are denominated as HALF DOL., making the 1836 and 1837 halves a distinct design type. This half dollar issue was the first struck to the specifications of the sprawling 38-section Mint Act of 1837, passed by Congress on January 18, which specified that all silver coins struck thereafter would be coined to the simple .900 fine standard. That provision remained in effect until 1965. The law also further defined the annual assay of United States coins. The assay of 1837 coinage took place on February 12, 1838, testing 348 half dollars, representing between 10 and 66 coins from each delivery of the denomination made between February 22 and December 30, 1837.

The example to the left was sold by Stack's Bowers Galleries in the D. Brent Pogue Part IV Auction, where it realized $111,625.