US Gold $5 Liberty Head Half Eagle - BU - Random Date

US Gold $5 Liberty Head Half Eagle - Random Date

BU Condition

US Gold $5 Liberty Head Half Eagle were minted from 1839 - 1908 and survived the Gold Reserve Act of 1934 which outlawed private ownership of gold in the United States.

Coin Design
Obverse: Liberty was designed with a coronet and smaller head
Reverse: Eagle with outstretched wings

Coin Artist
Obverse and Reverse: Christian Gobrecht (1785 - 1844)

BU Condition
The coins being offered in this listing are in "Brilliant Uncirculated" condition, which is often abbreviated by numismatists as simply "BU." On the Sheldon 1-70 numerical grading scale, coins in BU condition would grade a minimum of 60. To be awarded the Brilliant Uncirculated grade, a coin must be in mint state condition with original luster and no wear whatsoever. BU specimens can display contact marks from storage in original mint bags, but do not have any loss of detail from circulation. Uncirculated (aka "Mint State") coins are considered highly desirable by collectors, and especially so for vintage pieces like these.

When purchasing "Random Dates" you can expect to receive dates and types of our choice, depending upon current stock on hand. If you purchase multiple coins you may or may not receive all the same date, depending upon availability.

This listing uses "Reference Images"
The "Reference Images" used in this listing Description were created by Liberty Coin for reference only to depict the quality of the item you will receive.  You will NOT receive the exact item that was photographed to create the Reference Images.  However, the actual item you will receive is guaranteed to be similar to that shown and exactly as described.

About Liberty Head Half Eagles
Spanning from 1839 to 1908, the Liberty Half Eagle was the longest running series for the five dollar gold denomination. During the course of the series, coins would be struck across seven different mint facilities, resulting in more than 200 different issues. Mintages would cover a wide range from just a few hundred to more than one million pieces. The overall series can be divided into two subtypes based on the addition of a banner with the motto IN GOD WE TRUST to the reverse design following the American Civil War.
After numerous design changes, the half eagle as well as the other gold denominations would find stability in a new design created by Christian Gobrecht. He had performed work for the Mint as early as 1823, become Assistant Engraver in 1835, and finally Chief Engraver in 1840. His design for the half eagle had previously been introduced on the eagle in 1838 and would later be adopted for the quarter eagle in 1840.

Obverse Design
The obverse design of the Liberty Half Eagle features the head of Liberty facing left. Her hair is mostly bound up in a bun with a string of beads intertwined and a few locks falling towards her neck. She wears a coronet inscribed LIBERTY. Thirteen stars appear evenly spaced surrounding the portrait with the date below.

Reverse Design
The reverse closely resembles the previous type, which was a modified form of the design created by John Reich in 1807. A bald eagle is portrayed with its wings spread and a large shield at its breast. Its talons grasp a bundle of arrows and an olive branch. The inscription UNITED STATES OF AMERICA appears surrounding with the denomination expressed as “FIVE D.” below.
Except for differences in the size of the lettering, the design for the Liberty Half Eagle remained unchanged for the first 25 years of the series. In 1866, a major change was executed on the reverse, with the addition of the motto IN GOD WE TRUST on a scroll directly above the eagle. The motto had first appeared on the two cent piece in 1864 in response to a request from Reverend Mark R. Watkinson to add a reference to God on coinage during the time of war. In the following year, an act of Congress permitted the motto to be added to all denominations which could accommodate it. For the gold denominations, the motto would be added to the half eagle, eagle, and double eagle.