1856 Liberty Head $5 Half Eagle

1856 Liberty Head $5 half eagle gold coins were made at five different minting facilities, including the Philadelphia, Charlotte (C), Dahlonega (D), New Orleans (O), and San Francisco mints. All gold half eagles from 1856 are considered scarce, but the Charlotte, Dahlonega, and New Orleans issues are the scarcest. Meanwhile, the Philadelphia and San Francisco issues are the most common, though, again, that is a relative term when speaking about 19th-century coins such as these.

Below is a glance at the mintages and values of the 1856 $5 Liberty Head half eagle gold coins:

• 1856, 197,990 minted; $860

• 1856-C, 28,457; $2,000

• 1856-D, 19,786; $2,000

• 1856-O, 10,000; $1,443

• 1856-S, 105,100; $1,005

*Values are for coins grading Very Fine 20.

Christian Gobrecht was the designer of 1856 $5 gold Liberty Head half eagles; he also designed the 19th-century Seated Liberty silver coins. While half eagles contain a substantial 0.24187 ounces of gold, 1856 $5 gold coins are considered numismatic coins and carry a high price premium over their bullion content. Therefore, bullion investors tend not to buy these coins, which are impractical purchases for anybody who is buying coinage merely for its intrinsic gold content.