The $5 Indian Half Eagle Gold Coin was struck by the United States Mint from 1908 to 1916 and then again in 1929. The $5 Gold Indian Half Eagle (and its $2.50 Quarter Eagle counterpart) were the only circulating US coins with “recessed” (or incused / engraved) designs. The gold Indian Half Eagle’s obverse features the profile of a Native American man in headdress, facing left, encircled by 13 stars, the inscription, “LIBERTY” and the date. The artist’s initials, BLP, are also found between the portrait and the date. The Indian Half Eagle’s reverse side features an eagle standing on a cluster of arrows, holding an olive branch in its claw. Also inscribed on the reverse is, “UNITED STATES OF AMERICA”, “E PLURIBUS UNUM”, “IN GOD WE TRUST”, and “FIVE DOLLARS”. The $5 gold Half Eagle Indian coins that were produced at the U.S. Denver mint (D), New Orleans mint (O), and San Francisco mint (S) contain a mint mark found just to the left of the arrowheads on the reverse side. Gold Indian half eagles that were minted at the U.S. Philadelphia mint do not contain a mint mark. The composition of these gold half eagle coins is 90% gold and 10% copper, each coin containing approximately 0.24187 troy oz of pure gold. The coin pictured is an example of the quality of the coin you will receive, not the exact coin. The coin(s) you receive will be chosen at random from available inventory.

Pre-1933 Gold Coins are highly sought after for their historical significance as well as their beauty. In 1933 U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed Executive Order 6102 “forbidding the hoarding of gold coin, gold bullion, and gold certificates within the continental United States.” Owning and possessing monetary gold became a crime as the order required monetary gold to be returned to a Federal Reserve Bank branch for fiat paper money. The order was issued a month after Presidential Proclamation 2039 that forbid the hoarding of gold or silver coin or bullion under penalty of fine and/or imprisonment up to ten years! Thereafter, the Gold Reserve Act of 1939 codified Roosevelt’s order and it imposed new civil penalties; many individuals were in fact prosecuted for possession of gold under these laws. As a result, vast quantities of gold coins were turned in, taken out of circulation, and melted. Today, collectors prize pre-1933 US Gold Coins for not only each coins unique design and rarity but also for its symbolism for those that retained the gold coins and rejected governmental imposed fiat money.

Jewelry Grade coins may show some wear, signs of cleaning or previous use in jewelry. This however makes jewelry grade coins one of the most affordable ways to purchase genuine pre-1933 gold.