Another highly collectible gold coin is the Indian Head Half Eagle. The Half Eagle coin was first produced in 1795 and was made of mostly gold. The Indian Head Half Eagle was designed by Bela Lyon Pratt in 1908, and was produced for circulation until 1929, the last year that the coin was issued.

The Sculptor, Bela Lyon Pratt

Bela Lyon Pratt, the designer, was born in 1867 in Connecticut, the grandson of the founder of the first conservatory for music located in New England. He was raised with music and art, and at the age of 5, showed an inclination towards sculpture, modeling available beeswax. He grew up to become a renown sculptor and creator of medals, and in October of 1908 was approached, at the Symphony, by Dr. Sturgis Bigelow, who asked him to create the first of the Indian Head coins. Pratt was also instrumental in the formation of The Boston School of Art.

Coin Design

It is believed that Pratt used the Chief Hollow Horn Bear of the Sioux, as the model for the Indian Head. Beginning with a clay sketch, the coin was then cast in gold. It was commissioned by William Sturgis Bigelow for the then President Theodore Roosevelt. An interesting fact about the coin is that it is debossed, or done with a technique called incuse relief, with the image lower than the surrounding metal. One one side is the Indian Head with headdress surrounded by thirteen stars and the word, Liberty: On the other side is the eagle, with United States of America above, and the denomination of Five Dollars below the eagle. When submitted to President Roosevelt, it was swiftly approved, as the design was very unique and the sunken decoration was not only creative, it made the stacking of coins easier. Originally costing $300 to produce, and minted in Denver and San Francisco, an example of the 1908 gold coin can now be found at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston.

Production Stops

The Indian Head Half Eagle had a production run of 1908 to 1916. However, during World War I production was stopped, and it began again in 1929, which was its last year.

Availability

One can find a range of Indian Head Half Eagles on Ebay with years such as 1908, 1909, 1910 and 1915. An uncirculated coin from 1915 , NGC PF65+, can be found at Tom’s Collectibles, and with its gold value, it is a very rare coin. It is newly on the market and is being sold by Goldcoast Coin Exhange. Another location to find an Indian Head Half Eagle is Goldline, with coins containing a composition of 90 percent gold and 10 percent copper. Gold content is listed at 0.24187 oz. The range of prices of this coin suggests the importance of its year and other factors, as a 1911 Indian Head Half Eagle, condition listed as circulated, was being bid at an online auction at an affordable price. It was put online by a daughter, who claimed she found it in her elderly mother’s bureau drawer, where it sat for 50 years, and who is not a collector.

The Indian Head Half Eagle is an unusual coin, partly because of the innovative technique used to produce it, and partly because it is a beautiful example of a historic gold coin.

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