1908 INDIAN HEAD $5 PR67

GEM MATTE PROOF SURFACES WITH A HINT ORANGE PEEL COLOR. JUST A SINGLE PR67+ COIN GRADED HIGHER. CAC. Nineteen hundred and eight was a watershed year in the proof Half Eagle series. Not only did it witness the introduction of Bela Lyon Pratt's incuse Indian design, but it also saw the production of the first matte finish proofs of this denomination. Unlike later-date matte proof coins of the Indian Five-Dollar type, the typically encountered 1908 displays a coarse-grain texture and deep, khaki-gold color. Of the 167 pieces originally struck, many were still in federal hands by the end of the year. Those coins were melted on January 2, 1909. Several of the pieces that were actually distributed have also been lost, and survivors probably number just 95-115 pieces in all grades.