Semi-Numismatic

$5 Liberty Gold Half Eagle (Cleaned)

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The five dollar gold piece, known as the Half Eagle, represents a classic era of American coinage. Minted between the years 1838 and 1907, each coin contains 0.2419 troy ounces of gold with a purity of 0.900. These pieces were produced across various United States Mint locations, including Philadelphia, Carson City, Charlotte, Dahlonega, Denver, New Orleans, and San Francisco. This specific issue has been certified as genuine, though it shows signs of past cleaning or use in jewelry. On the obverse side, the design features a left-facing portrait of Liberty, her hair bound by a band displaying the word LIBERTY, all encircled by thirteen stars. The reverse side showcases a heraldic eagle holding a shield on its chest, surrounded by the words UNITED STATES OF AMERICA and the five-dollar denomination. While the United States first began issuing gold coins in 1795, the destiny of these pieces changed dramatically in 1933 when President Franklin Roosevelt banned citizens from holding monetary gold. Due to this executive order, vast quantities of gold coins were returned to the Treasury and melted down, leaving only a limited number of these historic survivors intact today.