Numismatic

1845 $5 Liberty Gold Half Eagle XF

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Struck in the mid nineteenth century, this five-dollar gold piece represents a design era that spanned from 1839 to 1908. Crafted with a purity of 0.900 gold, the coin contains 0.2419 troy ounces of precious metal. Because countless examples of these early gold issues were melted down in subsequent eras, surviving specimens offer a compelling window into the past. The obverse side displays a left-facing profile of Liberty, her hair bound by a band inscribed with her name. A ring of thirteen stars encircles her portrait, with the year 1845 anchored at the bottom. This classic depiction was the work of designer James B. Longacre. On the reverse, a heraldic eagle guards a central shield, clutching an olive branch in one claw and a bundle of arrows in the other. A cluster of thirteen stars hovers directly above the eagle. The perimeter is inscribed with the country of origin, United States of America, alongside the denomination of Five D. Because this coin was produced at the Philadelphia Mint, it does not carry a mint mark.