1853 Liberty Head Half Eagle
Base
About This Coin
The 1853 Liberty Head Half Eagle is a United States Gold Half Eagle from the Liberty Head Half Eagles 1839-1908 series — 15th of 70 years in the series. In 1853, coins were struck at the Charlotte, Philadelphia, and Dahlonega Mints with a combined mintage of 461,019. This ranks 40th of 70 years by total mintage, above the series median of 360,195. The obverse features Liberty facing left wearing a coronet inscribed LIBERTY and the reverse displays a heraldic eagle with shield on breast, olive branch and arrows in talons, with a banner reading E PLURIBUS UNUM. New Orleans and San Francisco issues join Philadelphia and Dahlonega production. Struck in 90% gold, 10% copper, weighing 8.36 grams, 21.65 mm in diameter, with a reeded edge. Collectors have identified one known die variety for this date (cud). Across its variants, estimated values range from $1.4K to $28K depending on mint mark, grade, and strike type. A notable auction result reached $90K in MS64+ grade at Heritage Auctions. Designed by Christian Gobrecht.
Value Estimates
Values as of May 2026 — range across all strike types, reflecting typical grades (G-4 through MS-63). Coins in lower or exceptional grades may fall outside this range.
