Indian Head Gold

About This Series

Bela Lyon Pratt designed the Indian Head quarter eagle ($2.50) and half eagle ($5) with an unusual incuse relief - the design is sunk into the coin's surface rather than raised above it, a concept borrowed from ancient Egyptian coin-making. Both were released in 1908. The approach was immediately controversial; critics claimed the recessed fields trapped germs. The quarter eagle ran from 1908 to 1915 and from 1925 to 1929; the half eagle from 1908 to 1916, then once more in 1929. The 1929 half eagle had a high mintage but most were melted before release, leaving very few survivors.