Numismatic

1914 $5 Indian Gold Half Eagle MS-64 PCGS

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The 1914 five dollar gold piece represents a fascinating departure from traditional coin design. Unlike typical coinage where the details stand out in relief, this Indian Half Eagle features an incuse design, meaning the artwork and inscriptions are sunken below the flat surface of the coin. This distinctive method gives the coin a remarkably flat profile and a completely different tactile feel. On the obverse, a detailed portrait of a Native American chief wearing a traditional feathered headdress faces left. The reverse showcases a proud American eagle perched upon a bundle of arrows, which are entwined with an olive branch. Legible inscriptions on the coin include the classic national mottos "IN GOD WE TRUST" and "E PLURIBUS UNUM." This specific gold coin was struck at the Philadelphia Mint in 1914, a year that saw a total mintage of 247,000 of these pieces. Because it was produced in Philadelphia, the coin does not bear a mint mark. Composed of 90 percent gold, it contains 0.2419 troy ounces of precious metal. This specimen has survived more than a century in remarkable condition, graded as Mint State 64 (MS-64) by a professional certification service.