1842 Liberty Head $5 Half Eagle

1842 Liberty Head $5 half eagle gold coins were made in several varieties, mainly due to variations in the size of the date and lettering on the coin. By and large, all 1842 half eagles are considered scarce, though among these issues the scarcest of all are the Charlotte (C) and Dahlonega (D) half eagles. This is the case with virtually all Liberty Head half eagles from the era, and should be kept in mind by those wanting to buy old gold half eagles. It’s advisable that all old gold coins be purchases authenticated and slabbed, as gold coinage is often counterfeited.

Along with the scarce C- and D-mint 1842 Liberty Head half eagles, there are also the Philadelphia and New Orleans issues, which, while tough to locate, are still more easily found than issues from the other mints. Here’s a rundown on the mintages and values for all 1842 $5 half eagle gold coins:

• 1842 (all kinds), 27,578 minted

• 1842 small letters, mintage included above; $1,080

• 1842 large letters, mintage included above; $1,252

• 1842-C (all kinds), 27,432

• 1842-C small date, mintage included above; $9,000

• 1842-C large date, mintage included above; $2,000

• 1842-D (all kinds), 59,608

• 1842-D small date, $2,000

• 1842-D large date, $3,750

• 1842-O, 16,400; $2,500

*Values are for coins grading Very Fine 20.

While Liberty Head gold half eagles have intrinsic bullion content, it should be noted that their historical significance means they have the largest market among numismatists. 1842 Liberty Head half eagles, designed by Christian Gobrecht, weigh a total of 8.359 grams and contain a net pure gold weight of 0.24187 ounces.