The effective interest given that the account is compounded semi-annually is calculated through the equation,
ieff = (1 + i/n)^m - 1
Substituting the known values,
ieff = (1 + 0.039/2)^2 - 1
ieff = 0.0394
The value of the initial investment can be calculated through the equation,
F = P x (1 + ieff)^n
P = F / (1 + ieff)^n
Substituting the known values,
P = ($1374.73) / (1 + 0.0394)^9
P = $971.06
ANSWER: $971.06