1929 Indian Head $5 Gold Coin

The 1929 Indian Head $5 Gold Coin was minted for the first time since 1916. The 13-year hiatus would mark one of the longer periods of time that a U.S. coin series would lay dormant. A majority of the 650,000+ struck at the Philadelphia mint, were melted.
The few 1929 Indian Head $5 Gold Coins that survived were quite lucky to do so, as it wasn’t legal to own all gold coins from 1933 through 1975 in the United States. Those that did escape melting are in extremely high demand. Today, these coins are still extremely popular amongst collectors, but are only becoming increasingly difficult to find.
The goal for every collector is to find one of these coins in excellent condition, but that is often much easier said than done. Even for this, finding the coin in excellent condition is no simple feat.

Grading the 1929 Indian Head $5 Gold Coin

When it comes to the condition of coins that are approaching a century of existence, the condition of the coin is something that raises a big question mark for collectors. While one coin may have been excellently preserved, the next will have been quite heavily damaged. Knowing this, collectors will always pay close attention to a coin prior to making a purchase.

For most people, the best way to have the condition of a coin assessed is to send it away to a professional company for grading. Knowing that not everyone can afford to have their coins graded, we have provided below an outline of the basic coin grades as well as their related characteristics.

Uncirculated: Uncirculated coins are the best of the best in that they have spent almost no time exchanging hands. These pieces will have been preserved from the day they were minted and even to this day will have retained many of those pristine qualities. Naturally, Uncirculated coins are the most desirable for collectors.

Extremely Fine: If a coin is of Extremely Fine grade, this means that the piece in question will have spent almost no time at all in circulation. Though these coins spent only a bit of time being circulated, the fact of the matter is that they have been damaged a bit. While there is damage, you will only be able to notice it under close inspection.

Fine: Fine is the grade given to coins that were circulated for an extended period of time, but have not been so heavily damaged. You will notice that the surfaces of these coins have been worn down over the years such that the coin will feel smooth to the touch. All in all, however, collectors are constantly trying to get their hands on these pieces.

Good: Good is the lowest grade a coin can receive and is usually indicative of a piece that has been through many years of circulation. These pieces will play host to an immense amount of damage that can vary dramatically from coin to coin. All in all, these coins are in poor shape and are not the first choice to be added to a collection.

Pricing the 1929 Indian Head $5 Gold Coin

When it comes to the 1929 Indian Head $5 Gold Coin, assigning a price is no more difficult than assessing the condition of the coin. Being that condition means everything to collectors, it goes without saying that those well-preserved pieces will sell for the highest prices. Below exists a chart aimed at giving you a better idea of what you might be asked to pay for a 1929 Indian Head $5 Gold Coin given its condition.

Indian Head $5 Gold Coin

DATE	GOOD	FINE	EXTREMELY FINE	UNCIRCULATED
1929 Indian Head $5 Gold Coin	N/A	N/A	$21,000	$25,000
Source: Red Book