Five dollar gold coins were made during the eighteenth century from the year 1795 up to 1929. There are several designs of these “half eagles” as they were commonly known by having a value of the regular ten-dollar eagle coin. They feature the images of an eagle, the head of the Statue of Liberty and also Indian heads depending on the period wherein they are produced. Knowing that they were made during the late 1700’s, one would know the preciousness of these coins and also of their durability for all these years.
The five dollar gold coin was among the first coins to be issued by the US Mint. It was contemporary with the more known $10 gold eagle coin and was issued featuring almost the same images on their facade. The coin had a new design during the presidency of Roosevelt which marked the beginning of the appearance of Indian heads on the coin. It contains the head of a native Indian and also the eagle on the other side. The production was however ceased during the war in the 1920s.
Although there are various designs of these coins, there are only two commonly known designs for the five dollar coin. They are the more recent issues which were those produced by the US Mint from 1839 up to 1929. They are the coins which feature the head of Liberty and also the Indian type of coins. The most popular among the two being the Liberty head type which also features an eagle on its other side. The Indian type has a different process of creating the image in it which is sunk and not above the surface of the coin. It also features the eagle. On most five dollar coins, the mark of the Mint can be found on its reverse near the eagle and the Indian type has its mark on the arrows. The coins condition can rate from the following Very Fine, Extremely Fine, About Uncirculated, and Uncirculated Condition. Coins that are in uncirculated condition are worth the most to investors.
The cost or value of this coin reaches for up to less than $100,000 which is the most that a coin of this type has been bought in an auction. The rarity of these coins make them all worth the purchase. The more common Liberty head types cost a lot less at about $200 a piece. You can find a variety of the minting dates for these coins but the eldest that has been found for this coin was about 1875. It was an issue from the Mint in San Francisco.
There is a collection from Louis Elaisberg which has preserved these coins at almost in mint condition. It commanded such a high price which can be expected from a coin like it. The other type of five dollar eagle coin will cost about $300 bearing the minting date from 1908 up to 1929. Although the 1929 issue is the more recent date, it still is the most costly among the series since they are more rare and thus harder to acquire. The most that a coin like this can cost you is about $8,000.