1839 $5 (Regular Strike)
Series: Liberty Head $5 1839-1908
PCGS MS64
PCGS MS64
PCGS MS63+
- PCGS #:
- 8191
- Designer:
- Christian Gobrecht
- Edge:
- Reeded
- Diameter:
- 22.50 millimeters
- Weight:
- 8.36 grams
- Mintage:
- 118,143
- Mint:
- Philadelphia
- Metal:
- 90% Gold, 10% Copper
- Auction Record:
- $80,500 • MS64 • 08-14-2006 • Heritage Auctions
Major Varieties
- 1839 $5
Rarity and Survival Estimates Learn More
| Survival Estimate | |
|---|---|
| All Grades | 200 |
| 60 or Better | 12 |
| 65 or Better | |
| Numismatic Rarity | |
|---|---|
| All Grades | R-7.0 |
| 60 or Better | R-9.5 |
| 65 or Better | R-10.1 |
| Relative Rarity By Type All Specs in this Type | |
|---|---|
| All Grades | 61 / 112 TIE |
| 60 or Better | 59 / 112 TIE |
| 65 or Better | 1 / 112 |
| Relative Rarity By Series All Specs in this Series | |
|---|---|
| All Grades | 94 / 218 TIE |
| 60 or Better | 87 / 218 TIE |
| 65 or Better | 1 / 218 |
Condition Census What Is This?
|
#1 PCGS MS64
“The Fairchild Family Trust Collection,” Ira & Larry Goldberg Coins & Collectibles, May 28, 2001, Lot 1358. As NGC MS64 #289090-012. Heritage Auctions, January 5, 2012, Lot 4873 – $31,625; Heritage Auctions, August 3, 2012, Lot 5358 – $35,250. As PCGS MS64 #25057740. Heritage Auctions, January 9, 2014, Lot 5441 – $41,125; |
|
#1 PCGS MS64
“The James A. Stack, Sr. Collection,” Stack’s, October 1994, Lot 1085. As PCGS MS64 #4832080. “The Alpine Zephyr Collection,”Heritage Auctions, August 14, 2006, Lot 5498 – $80,500. Top pop, pop one when offered. D. Brent Pogue Family Collection. As PCGS MS64 #32916359. “The D. Brent Pogue Family Collection, Part IV,” May 24, 2016, Lot 4060 – $47,000. |
|
#1 PCGS MS64
Heritage Auctions, April 23, 2020, Lot 3794 – $50,400. |
|
#4 PCGS MS63+
As PCGS MS63 #15686023. Heritage Auctions, January 6, 2011, Lot 5106 - $25,300. As PCGS MS63+ #81788183. |
#5 PCGS MS63
|
#5 PCGS MS63
|
|
#5 Est. MS63
United States Mint Cabinet; National Numismatic Collection at the Smithsonian Institution. |
1839 Liberty Head Half Eagle
In 1839, Christian Gobrecht’s Liberty Head design officially replaced William Kneass’s Classic Head type (1834–1838) on the $5 gold half eagle. Gobrecht introduced a taller, slimmer bust of Liberty with her hair swept up under a pointed diadem.
While modernizing the portrait, Gobrecht maintained several of Kneass’s core motifs — most notably the thirteen obverse stars surrounding the date. On the reverse, the Heraldic Eagle and inscriptions remained familiar, though Gobrecht’s eagle stood noticeably more upright with more delicate, smaller talons.
Gobrecht’s design became the uniform portrait for U.S. gold coinage, debuting on the $10 gold eagle in 1838 and the $2.50 gold quarter eagle in 1839. It enjoyed an extraordinary run until the early 20th century, when President Theodore Roosevelt famously embarked on his "pet crime" to revamp American coinage — ultimately ushering in the iconic works of Augustus Saint-Gaudens and Bela Lyon Pratt.
Collecting the 1839 Liberty Head Half Eagle
The Philadelphia Mint struck 118,143 1939 Liberty Head Half Eagles (#8191). Because virtually the entire mintage saw heavy commercial use, well-preserved examples are tough to come by — though circulated pieces remain accessible to collectors:
The finest-known examples top out at PCGS MS64, with only three examples graded at this level. Of those,
Raised Dot Feature
Eagle-eyed collectors will spot a unique die quirk on this issue: every single known example of the 1839 Liberty Head Half Eagle features a distinct raised dot (die chip) on Liberty’s neck, behind her hair. Another, smaller chip is present just above the bust truncation.
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