1908 Liberty Head $5 Half Eagle

1908 was the last year of the Liberty Head half eagle $5 gold coin, and all 421,874 were struck at the Philadelphia Mint. All were business-strike coins that year as attentions turned producing the first Indian Head $5 half eagles later in 1908. Though 1908 Liberty Head half eagles are a last-year type, demand for the coin isn’t necessarily strong enough that finding them is very difficult today. There are plenty to meet current demand, and they can be regularly found at coin shops and coin shows.

The typical price for a 1908 Liberty Head half eagle in a grade of Very Fine is $787 . It should also be noted that 1908 half eagles contain 0.24187 ounces of gold. At the $787 price tier for a moderately circulated coin, the coin’s market value largely reflects the expense of the intrinsic gold bullion in the coin. At that rate, the equivalent price for gold is much higher than one might pay for a 1/4-ounce American Eagle gold coin.

1908 Liberty Head half eagles were designed by Christian Gobrecht. He not only served as the third Chief Engraver of the United States Mint, but he also designed the famous Seated Liberty coinage, which was minted from the late 1830s through the early 1890s.