The Liberty Head $5 Gold Coin, or Half Eagle, was minted from 1839 to 1908 and designed by Christian Gobrecht. Struck in 90% gold, it combines a mid-sized gold denomination with one of the longest-running designs in pre-1933 U.S. coinage.
The Liberty Head $5 Gold Coin, or Half Eagle, was struck from 1839 to 1908 in 90% gold. Its long production run made the Christian Gobrecht design a familiar part of 19th-century U.S. gold coinage across several major historical periods.
Design Details
The Liberty Head $5 Gold Coin, designed by Christian Gobrecht, features a classic neoclassical design. The obverse depicts Lady Liberty facing left, wearing a coronet inscribed “LIBERTY,” surrounded by thirteen stars and the year of issue. The reverse displays a heraldic eagle with outstretched wings, holding an olive branch and arrows to symbolize peace and strength, with inscriptions “UNITED STATES OF AMERICA” and “FIVE D.” Coins minted after 1866 also include the motto “IN GOD WE TRUST.”
Investment & Legacy
The Liberty Head $5 Gold Coin combines 90% gold content with Christian Gobrecht’s long-running Half Eagle design. Its 1839–1908 production span and use across major periods of U.S. history give the coin substantial historical and collector interest.
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