1883 Liberty Head $5 Half Eagle

In 1883, Liberty Head half eagles were made at three minting facilities, including those in Philadelphia, Carson City (CC), and San Francisco (S). While mintages were highest at the Philadelphia Mint, production figures across the board were much lower in 1883 than they had been during the previous few years. Indeed, mintages remained higher during the course of the 1880s and thereafter than at any point before in the Liberty Head $5 gold series, but 1883 (and 1884) marked low points as far as overall half eagle output was concerned.

Here’s a rundown of the mintages and values of 1883 $5 Liberty Head half eagle gold coins:

• 1883, 233,400 minted; $787

• 1883-CC, 12,598; $2,000

• 1883-S, 83,200; $787

• 1883 proof, 61; $15,500

*Values are for coins grading Very Fine 20 unless otherwise stated.

Despite the lower mintages in 1883 than experienced in the series throughout the rest of the decade, $5 gold coins from that year remain relatively easy to locate. 1880s Liberty Head half eagles, which were designed by Christian Gobrecht, are generally plentiful given the current demand and are among the most frequently encountered $5 gold coins. While many people like to think of Liberty Head gold coins in terms of their bullion value (these pieces contain 0.24187 ounces of gold), pre-1933 U.S. gold coins are still largely categorized as numismatic collectibles given their overall scarceness.