Numismatic

1857-C $5 Liberty Gold Half Eagle XF-40 NGC

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In the years preceding the American Civil War, the branch mint in Charlotte, North Carolina, produced a limited run of gold coins. Among these was the 1857 five-dollar denomination, commonly referred to as the Liberty Half Eagle. This specific issue is highly sought after by those who study early American coinage, as only 31,360 of these pieces were originally struck at the southern facility. Crafted from 90 percent gold, the coin contains 0.2419 troy ounces of precious metal. The obverse features a classic profile of Liberty, with the year 1857 clearly visible at the base of the design. On the reverse, the distinctive C mint mark identifies its origin at the Charlotte Mint, a detail that sets it apart from more common issues of the era. This particular specimen has survived the decades with a grade of Extremely Fine 40 (XF-40), certified by a major grading service. It offers a tangible connection to the gold rush era of the American South, representing a time when local wilderness mines supplied the precious metal directly to regional minting facilities.