{"product_id":"1820-5-capped-head-ngc-sp64-2","title":"1820 $5 Capped Head NGC SP64","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe 1820 $5 gold half eagle is part of the Capped Head Left series minted from 1813 through 1829, a design attributed to engraver John Reich. Liberty's head is shown facing left, wearing a cap inscribed LIBERTY, with stars surrounding her and the date below. The reverse features a heraldic eagle with a shield, holding arrows and an olive branch, with the motto E PLURIBUS UNUM on a scroll above and the denomination abbreviated as 5 D. below.\u003cbr\u003eAll 1820 half eagles were struck at the Philadelphia Mint, as it was the only mint striking gold coins at that time. Notably, half eagles were the only U.S. gold denomination struck in 1820—quarter eagles had been on hiatus since 1808 and eagles since 1804.\u003cbr\u003eThe economic context of this era greatly impacted these coins' rarity.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA fixed 15:1 silver-to-gold ratio in the U.S. made gold coins worth more than face value overseas. As a result, many gold coins (including most 1820 half eagles) were exported and melted shortly after minting. The recorded mintage for 1820 was 263,806 pieces—a high output for the 1820s—but the vast majority never saw circulation due to melting. In fact, early 19th-century gold half eagles suffered mass destruction until a weight reduction in 1834 reduced their gold content. Thus, surviving 1820 half eagles are far scarcer than their mintage implies.\u003cbr\u003eThe 1820 half eagle presents several important die variations that affect its desirability and rarity. There are Square Base 2 vs. Curved Base 2 varieties of the 1820 date. The Curved Base 2 coins are further divided by having either Large Letters or Small Letters in the legend on the reverse, whereas all Square Base 2 pieces use large lettering.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAll 1820 \"Capped Head\" half eagles are part of a short-lived design type sometimes nicknamed the \"Fat Head\" half eagle for Liberty's large head profile. This type would later be modified in 1829 with new technology (the introduction of a close collar that standardized diameters and added reeded edges) and a smaller diameter design, marking the end of the large Capped Head half eagle series.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHistorically, the 1820 half eagle is significant as a coin from the challenging decades of U.S. gold coinage. No half eagles were struck in 1816–17 due to a Mint fire, and those made in the 1820s largely didn't circulate domestically (many were used in banking and export). An 1820 half eagle in any condition is a tangible link to the Era of Good Feelings under President James Monroe.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"MIZE","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":67729007313066,"sku":"3722035-001","price":1610000.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1602\/9059\/files\/3722035-001.jpg?v=1690046353","url":"https:\/\/bmcham.com\/products\/1820-5-capped-head-ngc-sp64-2","provider":"Hard Asset Management, Inc","version":"1.0","type":"link"}