The $5 Indian Gold Half Eagle kicked off the last design era for Pre-1933 $5 gold pieces from the United States Mint. In 1908, the San Francisco Mint joined other branches in producing Half Eagles for everyday use. That year’s San Francisco issue totaled 82,000 coins, marking the first “S” entry in the Indian Half Eagle line. Right now, 1908-S $5 Indian Gold Half Eagle Coins in About Uncirculated condition are available at BullionMax.

Coin Highlights:

• Arrives inside a protective slab!
• 1st release of the Indian Half Eagle!
• Struck by the San Francisco Mint!
• Declared mintage of 82,000 coins!
• Contains .242 troy oz of actual gold content.
• Bears a face value of $5 (USD) backed by the federal government.
• Issued an About Uncirculated 55 grade by the Numismatic Guaranty Corporation.
• The obverse features an indigenous figure.
• On the reverse, an American bald eagle rests on a sheaf of arrows.
• Includes an S mint mark from the San Francisco Mint.

Each 1908-S $5 Indian Gold Half Eagle Coin offered here is graded AU55. At this level, you can expect medium to near-full mint luster with only very light friction visible on the highest points. According to NGC, just 151 examples from this date hold an AU55 certification.

Bela Lyon Pratt created both sides of the Indian Half Eagle. He used an incuse style—designs sunken into the surface—on the obverse portrait and the reverse eagle. The standing eagle holds arrows and an olive branch, reflecting national preparedness and a desire for peace. Pratt’s approach gives the artwork a clear, distinctive look.

The obverse of the 1908-S Indian Half Eagle features a left-facing indigenous figure wearing a feathered headdress. This portrait was among the earliest in U.S. coinage to show an indigenous chieftain. Thirteen stars ring the field, with six to the left and seven to the right of the portrait.

On the reverse of the 1908-S $5 Gold Half Eagle, a bald eagle is perched on a bundle of arrows wrapped with an olive branch. The eagle’s wings rest at its sides, and—like the obverse—the imagery is struck incuse, sitting below the coin’s surface rather than raised above it.

If you have any questions about gold coins for sale, please feel free to ask. BullionMax customer service is available at 800-729-3202, online using our web chat, and via our email address.