Besides the $2.50 Quarter eagle, the Indian $5 gold coin was the only US coin with an incuse relief design, meaning it was stamped into the coin surface. The series includes 24 coins struck from 1908 to 1916 and 1929, with a total mintage of 14,078,066 pieces.
The Indian five dollar gold coin value depends on the mint mark, date, and each coin condition. You can notice that its price was significantly higher in the past than these days. However, collectors and investors expect raised demand in the future, particularly with the economy strengthening.
Indian Five Dollar Gold Coin History
Bela Lyon Pratt designed a beautiful Indian $5 gold coin minted from 1908 to 1929 by President Theodore Roosevelt’s order. The obverse design included a left facing Native American with a headdress on his head. Thirteen stars surrounding him represented the original American colonies.
The word LIBERTY is placed above the Indian’s head, while the date is below his bust along with the designer’s initials.
The reverse contains a proud American bald eagle holding arrows and an olive branch in claws. The inscription UNITED STATE OF AMERICA and denomination are along the coin rim.
On the left and right eagle’s sides are inscriptions E PLURIBUS UNUM and IN GOD WE TRUST. Finally, you can see the mint mark to the left of the arrowhead, except for coins minted in Philadelphia that are without the mint mark.
Indian $5 gold coin |
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| Face value | $5 (5 dollars) |
| Compound | 90% gold and 10% copper |
| Coin weight | 0.26878 ounces (8.36 g) |
| Gold weight | 0.24177 troy ounces (7.52 g) |
| Coin diameter | 0.85039Â inches (21.6 mm) |
| Coin thickness | 0.05905 (1.5 mm) |
| Shape | Round |
| Edge | Reeded |
The Philadelphia mint produced Indian $5 gold coins all ten years of minting, but three more mints struck these gold coins from time to time, including:
- Denver
- San Francisco
- New Orleans
The first goldies with unique relief design were released in 1908. This decision wasn’t popular when they came out, and even today, most collectors find their grading almost impossible.
Indian $5 gold coin value by USA Coin Book |
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| Year | Mintage | Very fine | Extra fine | AU | MS 60 | MS 63 | PR 63 |
| 1908 | 578,012 | $721 | $747 | $773 | $871 | $1,952 | $14,516 |
| 1908 D | 148,000 | $721 | $747 | $773 | $871 | $2,094 | / |
| 1908 S | 82,000 | $897 | $1,087 | $1,374 | $3,053 | $9,375 | / |
| 1909 | 627,138 | $721 | $747 | $773 | $871 | $2,165 | $17,293 |
| 1909 D | 3,423,560 | $721 | $747 | $773 | $871 | $1,952 | / |
| 1909 O | 34,200 | $5,367 | $7,364 | $10,712 | $34,215 | $109,799 | / |
| 1909 S | 297,200 | $747 | $798 | $823 | $1,952 | $17,293 | / |
| 1910 | 604,250 | $721 | $747 | $773 | $871 | $1,952 | $17,293 |
| 1910 D | 193,600 | $721 | $747 | $773 | $897 | $4,$747 | / |
| 1910 S | 770,200 | $747 | $798 | $823 | $1,508 | $12,087 | / |
| 1911 | 915,139 | $721 | $747 | $773 | $871 | $1,952 | $14,516 |
| 1911 D | 72,500 | $1,087 | $1,374 | $1,952 | $8,751 | $57,339 | / |
| 1911 S | 1,416,000 | $747 | $798 | $823 | $1,087 | $6,744 | / |
| 1912 | 790,144 | $721 | $747 | $773 | $871 | $1,952 | $14,516 |
| 1912 S | 392,000 | $747 | $798 | $823 | $2,220 | $18,565 | / |
| 1913 | 916,099 | $721 | $747 | $773 | $871 | $1,952 | $13,813 |
| 1913 S | 408,000 | $847 | $871 | $992 | $3,053 | $22,678 | / |
| 1914 | 247,125 | $721 | $747 | $773 | $898 | $2,764 | $14,517 |
| 1914 D | 247,000 | $721 | $747 | $773 | $898 | $3,053 | / |
| 1914 S | 263,000 | $747 | $798 | $823 | $2,094 | $17,293 | / |
| 1915 | 588,075 | $721 | $747 | $773 | $898 | $1,952 | $17,293 |
| 1915 S | 164,000 | $747 | $798 | $823 | $3,053 | $20,201 | / |
| 1916 S | 240,000 | $798 | $823 | $898 | $1,087 | $8,751 | / |
| 1929 | 662,000 | $21,141 | $22,680 | $24,948 | $36,142 | $57,345 | / |
The Indian $5 gold coin value is at least $420 nowadays. However, rare pieces in the mint state can reach hundreds of thousands of dollars.
The most valuable are gold coins minted in New Orleans in 1909. This mint produced only 34,000 pieces that year, and only a few survived the century. Therefore, scarce specimens in MS 65 and MS 66 grades can be worth a fortune.
Indian Five Dollar Gold Coin Value
At the time of production, the Indian five-dollar gold coin had an extremely high value. Since it is almost impossible to find a specimen for less than $300 nowadays, only highly dedicated collectors can afford them. In fact, most are worth more than $1,000, even in low grades.
However, all these goldies are sought, mainly due to the low mintage, coin age, and a small number of preserved pieces in the mint state.
As always, collectors will highly desire to find those in the best condition, but some dates, like 1909 O and 1911 D Indians, will be valuable regardless of the grade. Believe it or not, even the worst preserved specimen will be worth over $3,000.
Indian $5 gold proof coin value by Greysheet |
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| Quality | Year | |||
| 1908 | 1909 | 1910 | 1911 | |
| PR 55 | $6,880 to $8,250 | $6,880 to $8,250 | $6,880 to $8,250 | $6,880 to $8,250 |
| PR 58 | $7,500 to $9,000 | $7,500 to $9,000 | $7,500 to $9,000 | $7,500 to $9,000 |
| PR 60 | $9,380 to $11,200 | $9,380 to $11,200 | $9,380 to $11,200 | $9,380 to $11,200 |
| PR 61 | $10,000 to $12,000 | $10,000 to $12,000 | $10,000 to $12,000 | $10,000 to $12,000 |
| PR 62 | $11,900 to $13,700 | $11,900 to $13,700 | $11,900 to $13,700 | $11,900 to $13,700 |
| PR 63 | $19,800 to $23,800 | $19,800 to $23,800 | $19,800 to $23,800 | $19,800 to $23,800 |
| PR 64 | $25,200 to $30,200 | $25,200 to $30,200 | $25,200 to $30,200 | $25,200 to $30,200 |
| PR 65 | $51,600 to $61,900 | $51,600 to $61,900 | $51,600 to $61,900 | $51,600 to $61,900 |
| PR 66 | $79,200 to $108,00 | $72,000 to $86,400 | $72,000 to $86,400 | $72,000 to $86,400 |
| PR 67 | $108,000 to $156,000 | $108,000 to $129,600 | $108,000 to $129,600 | $108,000 to $129,600 |
| PR 68 | / | / | $192,000 to $240,000 | / |
Most Americans didn’t like the Indian $5 gold coin since they were convinced that incused surface could be a source of disease because of dirt collecting. As a result, the US Mint suspended production in 1916, but they still minted 662,000 pieces in 1929.
Those coins were commercial, and people used them for trade. However, their production was stopped when base metal coins came into circulation in the mid 19th century. Dollars made of precious metals became history by the middle of the 20th.
Indian $5 gold proof coin value by Greysheet |
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| Quality | Year | |||
| 1912 | 1913 | 1914 | 1915 | |
| PR 55 | $6,880 to $8,250 | $6,880 to $8,250 | $6,880 to $8,250 | $8,250 to $9,900 |
| PR 58 | $7,500 to $9,000 | $7,500 to $9,000 | $7,500 to $9,000 | $9,000 to $10,800 |
| PR 60 | $9,380 to $11,200 | $9,380 to $11,200 | $9,380 to $11,200 | $10,600 to $11,200 |
| PR 61 | $10,000 to $12,000 | $10,000 to $12,000 | $10,000 to $12,000 | $11,900 to $13,700 |
| PR 62 | $11,900 to $13,700 | $11,900 to $13,700 | $11,900 to $13,700 | $14,400 to $17,300 |
| PR 63 | $19,800 to $23,800 | $19,800 to $23,800 | $19,800 to $23,800 | $19,800 to $23,800 |
| PR 64 | $25,200 to $30,200 | $25,200 to $30,200 | $25,200 to $30,200 | $30,000 to $36,000 |
| PR 65 | $51,600 to $61,900 | $51,600 to $61,900 | $51,800 to $61,900 | $66,000 to $79,200 |
| PR 66 | $72,000 to $86,400 | $72,000 to $86,400 | $72,000 to $86,400 | $96,000 to $115,200 |
| PR 67 | $108,000 to $129,600 | $108,000 to $129,600 | $108,000 to $129,600 | $138,000 to $165,600 |
| PR 68 | / | / | $192,000 to $240,000 | / |
The Philadelphia mint produced Indian $5 gold proofs only for eight years. Their value is unbelievably high these days and goes from $7,000 to $240,000 for pieces in the best condition.
The Most Expensive Indian $5 Gold Coins
Believe it or not, most Indian $5 gold coins are super cheap nowadays, and former premiums have essentially gone. However, almost all specimens in gem grades are considered condition rarities.
Rare Indian $5 gold coin value |
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| Year | Grade | Price |
| 1909 O | MS 66 | $780,000 to $897,000 |
| 1909 O | MS 65 | $360,000 to $600,000 |
| 1911 D | MS 65 | $330,000 to $390,000 |
| 1913 S | MS 66 | $240,000 to $522,000 |
| 1908 S | MS 68 | $210,000 to $241,500 |
| 1912 S | MS 65 | $186,000 to $330,000 |
| 1913 S | MS 65 | $126,000 to $252,000 |
| 1915 S | MS 65 | $132,000 to $264,000 |
| 1914 S | MS 65 | $132,000 to $180,000 |
| 1914 | MS 66 | $120,000 to $168,000 |
| 1929 | MS 65 | $108,000 to $138,000 |
| 1909 S | MS 66 | $90,000 to $138,000 |
| 1910 D | MS 67 | $90,000 to $132,000 |
| 1916 S | MS 66 | $90,000 to $132,000 |
| 1911 S | MS 66 | $84,000 to $108,000 |
| 1910 S | MS 65 | $75,000 to $138,000 |
| 1908 S | MS 67 | $60,000 to $90,000 |
| 1909 S | MS 65 | $57,000 to $72,000 |
| 1913 | MS 66 | $57,000 to $72,000 |
| 1908 | MS 67 | $54,000 to $90,000 |
| 1914 D | MS 66 | $52,800 to $93,000 |
The most exciting key date is the 1909 O Half eagle. Its price is enormously high, and it is necessary to set aside $780,000 to $897,000 for a piece in MS 66 grade. Those in MS 65 class typically cost $360,000 to $600,000.
Gold coins produced in 1929 are rare, and it is estimated that only a few hundred pieces have survived by now. Their price range varies and can go over $100,000 at auctions.
Summary
The unique and beautiful Indian $5 gold coin is one of American favorite pieces, and many collectors want to add at least one to their collections. However, it is not a piece of choice for those with a limited budget since some are pretty costly. On the other hand, gold coins are always an excellent investment, so buying them is worth considering.
