#1 Capped Bust $5 Buyer Las Vegas & Henderson

History

The Capped Bust five dollar gold coin was the first gold coin struck in the United States under the Coinage Act of 1792. It is referred to as a “Half Eagle” as a shorthand term for the coin indicating it is half the denomination of an “Eagle” or ten dollar coin. It was minted in 22 karat fine gold or a composition of .9167 gold with the remainder being silver and copper in order to provide durability. The coin weighs 8.75 grams and is 25 mm in diameter. This five dollar gold coin was only minted in Philadelphia from 1795 until 1807.

The obverse or front of the coin displays a bust of Liberty wearing a large cap, also referred to as a turban. Fifteen stars representing the number of states that existed at that time surround Liberty’s image, (in 1797 this was changed to sixteen stars). On the back of the coin or reverse, there is a rather “skinny” eagle with wings outstretched, standing on a branch and holding a wreath in its beak. This design lasted until 1798. Simultaneously, a second type was minted with the reverse design changed to a more robust, heraldic eagle with a shield on its chest. This newly designed eagle has a ribbon below its beak with the motto, “E Pluribus Unum”. It is holding arrows in one talon and a branch in the other and continued in this design through the end of the series. Fifteen stars appear above the eagle changed to sixteen stars in 1797. In 1798 both thirteen stars and fourteen stars appeared above the eagle. The number of stars on the obverse was finally reduced to thirteen to represent the original thirteen colonies, No denomination appears on the coin.

Value

All coins in the series are quite valuable with common examples in fine condition being worth four to five thousand dollars. In mint state all coins become extremely rare and valuable ranging from between $30,000 up to over $200,000. This is true both due to their original low mintage as well as their survivability to present day. The 1798 small eagle variety, of which only six are known, is worth over a million dollars in almost uncirculated condition. The 1797 Heraldic eagle variety, with both fifteen and sixteen stars, are unique coins and the only known examples exist in the collection of the Smithsonian Museum.

Because there are so many varied opinions on the condition (or grade) of a coin, the aforementioned values reflect the highest retail prices that have been obtained for those coins that have been assessed by a third party grading company. Such coins have been authenticated, graded and encapsulated by expert coin grading companies to minimize any doubt as to their authenticity, quality and value and therefore their potential worth.

We Buy Capped Bust Five Dollar Gold Coins

We want to buy your coins and as a business it is our pledge to offer you the best value for your coins, however, always remember that the prices you may find online or in price guides usually represent the highest retail value for the coin in an already certified condition. As a trusted dealer we will have our coin specialists evaluate your coins at no cost and offer you a price that is both fair for you, but that also allows us to realize a reasonable profit.