Numismatic

1913 $5 Indian Gold Half Eagle MS-61 NGC

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The 1913 gold five dollar coin represents a fascinating departure from traditional coin design. Struck at the Philadelphia Mint, this half eagle features an incuse design, meaning the details and inscriptions are sunken below the flat surface of the coin rather than raised above it. This distinctive artistic choice gives the coin a remarkably flat profile and a completely different tactile feel compared to typical coinage of the era. On the obverse, a detailed portrait of a Native American chief wearing a ceremonial headdress faces left, surrounded by stars and the year 1913. The reverse features a proud eagle standing among olive branches, accompanied by the traditional national mottos. Because the design elements are recessed, the highest points of the coin are protected from wear, allowing this particular specimen to survive in a certified Mint State 61 condition. With a purity of 0.900 gold and containing 0.2419 troy ounces of precious metal, this piece is a testament to early twentieth century American minting. A total of 915,901 of these coins were produced in Philadelphia in 1913, carrying no mint mark, which distinguishes them from those struck at branch mints.