$5 Indian Gold - About Uncirculated Quality

The $5 Indian Head Gold Coin is considered the most beautiful and original portrayal of the American Indian ever employed on U.S. coinage. The series carries the distinction of being one of only two coin designs in American history to use an incuse design that is stamped into the coin.

Indian Gold Coins – A Brief History

When Theodore Roosevelt won the office of President in 1904, one of the first things he set out to do was redesign American gold coins. His personal friend and famous sculptor Augustus St. Gaudens was the man he chose for the job He started on the larger coins, the $20 and $10. Unfortunately, Mr. St. Gaudens died before he was able to complete the design for the smaller denominations like the $2 ½ and $5.

With a tip from another confidant, Roosevelt made a call to Bella Lyon Pratt, a sculptor from Boston who was chosen for the new design. You can find his initials B.L.P on the obverse of every $5 Indian located just under the Indian Head. The incuse design used by Pratt was groundbreaking in American coin history and at first the coins weren’t looked at favorably. Many people considered them to be unhygienic at the time since they thought that the recessed edges of the coins could carry germs and disease.

Hundreds of Thousands Melted

$5 Indian Heads were produced from 1908 to 1929. In 1916 minting was halted and nearly all gold pieces were withheld from circulation. The $5 Indians were then minted for only one final year in 1929. Gold coins were recalled to the Treasury in 1933 where most of the $5 Indians were destroyed in the great gold meltdowns of the period.

Each of our $5 Indians has been handpicked for exceptional eye appeal for the assigned grade. Photo is not the coin you will receive. Our choice of dates and mints. If you are looking for a specific date, mint, or grading service, please give us a call at 1-800-928-6468 so our Rare Coin Specialists can assist you.