Liberty Head $5 Gold Half Eagle
The US half eagle gold coin went through several designs throughout its run. Robert Scot’s design kicked off the series in 1795. It was followed by the Draped Bust design by John Reich in 1807. The Classic Head design by William Kneass was released in 1834, which was then replaced by Christian Gobrecht’s Liberty Head design in 1839. A final type, the Indian Head by Bela Lyon Pratt, was produced in 1908 and ended in 1929 with a break in production during the First World War.
History of the Liberty Head $5 Coin
The Liberty Head $5 gold coin is the fourth design of the half eagle. Its designer Christian Gobrecht was greatly influenced by Neoclassicism. This design influence is clear in the Liberty bust featured on coin’s obverse.
Gobrecht presented his Liberty with hair tied in a bun and secured with a string of beads. The figure is also wearing a coronet on her head with the words LIBERTY inscribed on it. As such, this design is also known as the Coronet Head. Liberty is surrounded by 13 starts, with the date placed below. This obverse design remained as it is, except for the date, until 1908 when it was replaced by the Indian Head design.
The reverse side of the Liberty Head $5 coin still used the eagle from previous designs, but with some minor changes. The Gobrecht version featured an eagle with a wider wingspan. The design remained more or less the same, except for a change in presenting the value which went from 5 D to Five D.
Variations of the Liberty Head $5 Coin
No Motto Liberty Head
There are two variations of the Liberty Head gold coin: No Motto and With Motto. The former was produced in five mints: Philadelphia, Charlotte, Dahlonega, New Orleans, and San Francisco. In all the years this version was created, only the pieces produced in the first year didn’t contain mintmarks in the obverse side below the eagle.
The No Motto Liberty Head was struck for more than 20 years, from 1839 to 1866. During that run, only a few design changes were made. The diameter of Liberty’s head was decreased in 1840 while lettering and dates were enlarged in 1842 and 1843.
With Motto Liberty Head
America was thrust into a Civil War in 1861 and the trying time was reflected in the motto chosen for the coin: IN GOD WE TRUST. The $5 Liberty Head coin wasn’t the first to bear the motto; it was the new two-cent piece released in 1864. However, an Act of Congress passed on March 3, 1865 authorized the motto to appear on coins. The With Motto Liberty Head was produced until 1908.
Collecting Liberty Head $5 Coins
The $5 Liberty Head is the only coin to be struck in every US mint – all seven of them. Coins in this series bear mintmarks from Charlotte, Dahlonega, New Orleans, San Francisco, Carson City, and Denver; the pieces from Philadelphia don’t bear any mintmarks.