#1 Indian $5 Buyer Las Vegas & Henderson

History

Made with 90% gold, (the remainder being 10% copper for durability), the Indian Head five dollar gold coin was minted from 1908 until 1929. This five dollar gold piece was minted in the Philadelphia, San Francisco, Denver and New Orleans mints. This was the last five dollar gold piece minted for circulation, (current five dollar gold coins produced since 1986 are minted for bullion purposes and do not regularly circulate). The five dollar gold coin 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. This gold coin is unique in that for the first time an incuse design was used. The incuse design actually has the images of the coin impressed inwardly from the coins surface. Also for the first time an image of an American Indian in full headdress is featured on the coin. This series is relatively short in that it lasted only ten years, (the series was minted from 1908 to 1916 and then again for one year in 1929). As a result, it is a popular series among collectors as it is reasonably possible to collect the entire series. In fact, there are only a total of twenty-four coins in the series all but two of which are obtainable for amounts approximately equal to the gold value of the coin.

The obverse or front of the coin displays a bust of an American Indian Chief in fully feathered headdress of incuse design with the word “Liberty” above the head. Thirteen stars surround the Indian’s head representing the original thirteen colonies. The reverse of the coin displays an eagle standing on a branch with wings folded in and also of incuse design. The mintmark is to the left of the branch with the denomination of the coin appearing below the branch.

Value

There are three key factors that determine the value of Indian Head gold coins. First, there is the gold content. The diameter of the Indian Head gold piece is 21.6 mm and it has a total weight of 8.359 grams. Since they were made with 90% gold, a large aspect of their value is based purely on that gold content. While they have a “five dollar” face value, their intrinsic value is tied to the gold content, which is 0.24187 of a troy ounce. As a result, and regardless of any other factor, they will always be worth an amount equal to their gold weight consistent with the current gold spot price or “melt value”. The other determiners of value are scarcity and condition.

Many years of the series in lower grade condition do not carry a premium much above their gold content. Prices for common date coins do not start to exceed their gold content value until you reach almost uncirculated or better condition coins. Years with significantly lower mintages can reach values in the tens of thousands of dollars depending on the condition of the coin. The key dates of the series, and therefore the most valuable, include the 1909 O, 1911 D and the 1929.

Because there are so many varied opinions on the condition (or grade) of a coin, the values mentioned 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 Indian Head 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.