Indian Head $5 Gold Coin (1908-1929)
Mint Location: Philadelphia, New Orleans, Denver, San Francisco
Designer: Bela Lyon Pratt
Composition: 90% Gold, 10% Copper
Weight: 8.359 grams
Edge Type: Reeded
For the Quarter and Half Eagles the mint brought in Bela Lyon Pratt as designer. These 2 coins are unique in that the design is incuse and sunk into the planchet except for the mint mark.
On the obverse this is the first time a realistic Native American was featured on a coin. He is wearing a Traditional War Bonnet. The word LIBERTY is across the top edge, 6 stars on left edge, and 7 stars on the right edge, with the year at the bottom.
The reverse is the same as the $10 Indian Head coin. The Reverse is a bald eagle standing on a sheaf of arrows encircled by an olive branch. The inscriptions E PLURIBUS UNUM is to the left of the chest, the Motto is on the right, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA is on the top edge with FIVE DOLLARS on the bottom.
Coin Values: All of these coins are rare and hard to find. A 1908 MS66+ Gold $5 Indian Head sold for $36,500, while a 1914 MS65 Gold $5 Indian Head sold for $11,000.
1908 Gold $2.5 Indian Head