The $5 Liberty Half Eagle of Christian Gobrecht

The Half Eagle is a United States coin that was produced for circulation from 1795 to 1929. Composed almost entirely of gold, it has a face value of five dollars. Its production was authorized by The Act of April 2, 1792, and it was the first gold coin minted by the United States. The Liberty head design of Christian Gobrecht started in 1839 and ended in 1908.

Designs

Variety 1 (no motto above eagle) 1839-1866
Variety 2 (motto above eagle) 1866-1908

Specifications

Diameter: 21.6 mm
Composition: .900 Gold, .100 Copper
Weight: 8.359 grams, .24187 oz. Pure Gold