1897 Liberty Head $5 Half Eagle

1897 Liberty Head half eagles were made at the Philadelphia and San Francisco (S) mints. Combined, the total output of $5 gold half eagles that year was more than 1.2 million coins.

Here’s a breakdown of the mintages and values of 1897 $5 Liberty Head half eagle gold coins:

• 1897, 867,800 minted; $772

• 1897-S, 354,000; $772

• 1897 proof, 83; $12,500

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

Numismatists should remember that the mintage figures listed above do not in any way equate to modern-day population figures. A substantial number of the coins reflected in the mintages that are listed above have actually been melted down or otherwise were lost to the elements of time. Therefore, just a fraction of the total production is left behind. Yet, there are plenty of 1897 $5 gold coins to meet current coin collector and bullion investor demand.

Christian Gobrecht designed 1897 Liberty Head half eagles, which measure 21.6 millimeters wide and contain 0.24187 ounces of gold. As an interesting aside for numismatists in particular, Gobrecht also designed the silver Seated Liberty coinage that was in production from the late 1830s through the early 1890s.