1885 Liberty Head $5 Half Eagle

1885 Liberty Head half eagles were produced at only two mints, which include those in Philadelphia and San Francisco (S). While the Carson City Mint wasn’t in the picture in regards to half eagles during 1885, the total production of $5 gold coins between the Philadelphia and San Francisco mints was still higher than the overall output of half eagles during 1883 and 1884 combined.

Here’s a breakdown of the mintages and values of 1885 $5 Liberty Head half eagle gold coins:

• 1885, 601,440 minted; $823

• 1885-S, 1,211,500; $823

• 1885 proof, 66; $15,500

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

Collectors should bear in mind that the mintage figures listed above do not equate to modern-day population figures. Most of the coins reflected in the mintages have actually been melted down or otherwise lost to the elements of time, therefore only a fraction of the total production is left behind. Yet, there are enough 1885 $5 gold coins to meet current demand.

Christian Gobrecht designed 1885 Liberty Head half eagles, which measure 21.6 millimeters wide and contain 0.24187 ounces of gold. Interestingly, Gobrecht also designed the silver Seated Liberty coinage that was in production from the late 1830s through the early 1890s.