The Indian Gold Half Eagle – An American First

The Indian Gold Half Eagle is one of American history’s more important coin designs. Since the establishment of the US Mint in 1792, a stunning array of designs have featured on US circulation coinage, with Lady Liberty and the American bald eagle among the most common figures to grace American currency. The introduction of the $5 Indian Gold Half Eagle, and its $2.50 Indian Gold Quarter Eagle counterpart, marked a unique moment in the history of American coins.

One Design – Two Unique Milestones

The Indian Half Eagle, as well as the Indian Quarter Eagle, were the first coins in American history to feature an incuse design strike. An incuse strike occurs when the design elements are recessed into the surface of the coin, creating a unique inverse relief for the visual elements while retaining a flat surface to run the hand across.

Beyond the type of strike for the Indian Half Eagle, another milestone was achieved in its design element. Bela Lyon Pratt’s depiction of an indigenous tribal figure wearing a feathered headdress marked the first appearance of a figure on American coins that bore the characteristics of an indigenous North American tribal member. While the 1859 Indian Head Cent is often cited as the first American coin to feature indigenous styling and symbols, James B. Longacre’s design for the 1859 US Penny featured Lady Liberty’s face with a feathered headdress. Pratt’s design, though not known to depict a specific living tribal member, was the first in American history to offer a lifelike portrait of an indigenous figure.

A Unique Addition to Any Collection

While the US Mint issued hundreds of thousands of these coins each year, and in some cases over a million coins annually, the survival rate of many Pre-33 US Gold Coins is low compared to the original production numbers. Extensive use in international trade and the mass melting of gold coins by the federal government in 1933 resulted in only a few thousand coins surviving into the 21st century. For example, Philadelphia issued 604,000 Indian Half Eagles in 1910, but many estimates put the number of surviving coins today (in any condition) around 16,000 coins. Each of these coins offers a chance to own a piece of history that has survived for more than a century with design details that are still clearly visible today on each piece.

Production History

The Indian Half Eagle was the final design used on the $5 Half Eagle denomination. Introduced in 1908, it was produced annually through 1916. During and after World War I, no new specimens were produced by the US Mint. The final strike of new Indian Half Eagles came in 1929, with production formally halted in 1933. Though no Half Eagles were struck between 1917-1928 and 1930-1933, the coins did remain in circulation.

Indian Half Eagles were struck at four branch mints over the course of time, with Philadelphia striking the coins every year except for 1916. The San Francisco Mint issued the coins in nine different years and the Denver Mint issued the coins in five different years. The New Orleans Mint issued the coins just once in 1909, the final year of operation for the New Orleans branch.

Collect Indian Half Eagles at JM Bullion

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