Description
1911 $5 Indian Head PCGS MS64+ (CAC)
PCGS # 8520
Grading Service PCGS
Grade MS64+
Mint Location Philadelphia
Year 1911
Designation NONE
Strike Business
Grade Add On CAC
1911 $5 Indian Head PCGS MS64+ (CAC)
1911 $5
SKU: 25611014
Choice near-Gem quality with CAC endorsement, this 1911 Indian Head Half Eagle offers an especially desirable combination of certified grade, originality, and type appeal within one of the most challenging 20th-century U.S. gold series.
Designed by Bela Lyon Pratt, the distinctive incuse Indian Head type departs boldly from traditional U.S. coinage, with the devices and legends recessed below the fields rather than raised above them. The obverse features a left-facing Native American portrait wearing a full feathered headdress, accompanied by LIBERTY above and the date 1911 below, with 13 stars around the border. The reverse presents a powerful standing eagle perched upon a bundle of arrows entwined with an olive branch, encircled by UNITED STATES OF AMERICA and E PLURIBUS UNUM, with the denomination FIVE DOLLARS below. Struck at Philadelphia, this issue bears no mintmark, as expected.
Certified PCGS MS64+ and further approved by CAC, this example resides at the upper end of the near-Gem category and displays the strong overall eye appeal collectors rightly seek in the Pratt half eagle series. As is typical for the date, some softness may be expected on portions of the obverse headdress, a characteristic frequently encountered on 1911-dated pieces. Even so, the present coin should show pleasing mint frost, well-preserved surfaces for the issue, and attractive original coloration consistent with the type, often ranging from light to medium yellow gold to greenish-yellow, with occasional pale orange-gold accents. The plus grade and CAC sticker together suggest a coin that stands apart from the average MS64, with superior surface quality and visual balance.
The 1911 half eagle is an important date in the Indian Head $5 series. While often described as one of the more available issues of the type, that characterization is relative to a series known for overall difficulty in Mint State. Examples in lower Uncirculated grades can be located with patience, but the issue becomes notably more elusive in MS64 and enters genuinely difficult territory at the Gem level. This date is also representative of the series’ distinctive production characteristics, including somewhat granular surfaces and luster that is more subdued than flashy, making high-end survivors with premium eye appeal especially compelling.
With a mintage of 915,000 pieces, the date is not rare in an absolute sense, yet it is far from common in this elevated state of preservation. PCGS reports a population of 116 in MS64+, with 88 graded finer, confirming that this piece occupies a selective tier within the certified census. CAC approval further enhances its collectibility, as buyers in this series place significant emphasis on originality and strict quality standards. For collectors pursuing a high-grade type example or a premium set candidate, the 1911 is a date that rewards careful selection.
A sharply collectible, CAC-approved near-Gem from a classic American gold series, this 1911 Indian Head Half Eagle is a premium offering with broad appeal to both type collectors and advanced gold specialists.