Numismatic

1913 $5 Indian Gold Half Eagle AU

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The 1913 gold five dollar coin represents a fascinating departure from traditional coin minting. Unlike standard coinage where the artwork rises above the surface, this piece features an incuse design. The entire image, including the details and lettering, is sunken below the flat plane of the coin. This unusual technique gives the coin a distinctively modern, sculptural quality that feels entirely different to the touch. On the obverse, a Native American figure wearing a detailed ceremonial feather headdress looks leftward. Thirteen stars encircle this central portrait, representing the original colonies, with the word LIBERTY inscribed along the top edge and the year 1913 below. This side also bears the designer's initials, BLP, near the base of the bust. The reverse depicts a proud bald eagle standing on a branch, surrounded by the traditional inscriptions. The country name, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, arches over the top, while the denomination FIVE DOLLARS rests below. The classic mottos, E PLURIBUS UNUM and IN GOD WE TRUST, are carefully placed in the open fields. Struck at the Philadelphia mint, these coins do not carry a mint mark, leaving the fields clean and focused on the artwork itself. Struck from 0.900 fine gold, this coin contains 0.2419 troy ounces of precious metal. Out of a total mintage of 915,901 pieces, this specimen survives in Almost Uncirculated condition, preserving the remarkable depth and texture of its unique sunken relief.