5 Dollars, United States, 1854
date: label: Date made
content: 1854
name: label: issuing authority
content: U.S. Mint, San Francisco
label: designer
content: Gobrecht, Christian
notes: label: Description (Brief)
content: One (1) 5 dollar coin
label: Description (Brief)
content: United States, 1854
label: Description (Brief)
content: Obverse Image: Left facing Liberty with hair tied in a bun and wearing a coronet. 13 stars around.
label: Description (Brief)
content: Obverse Text: LIBERTY / 1854
label: Description (Brief)
content: Reverse Image: Eagle with wings outstretched clutching arrows and branch in talons, shield over chest with vertical stripes on bottom part and horizontal stripes on top part.
label: Description (Brief)
content: Reverse Text: UNITED STATES OF AMERICA / FIVE D. / S
label: Description
content: The mint struck eagles and double eagles in some quantity (about 124,000 and 141,000, respectively). But it only minted a handful of quarter eagles (less than 250), and hardly more half eagles. The piece shown here is arguably the finest known. San Francisco expanded production in the next few years, adding silver coinage to the gold, and gradually assumed its position as a major producer of the nation's money.
label: Description
content: Made of California gold, this rare coin was one of the first produced at the U.S. Mint branch in San Francisco. The mintmark, "S," is stamped on the reverse. California gold initially had to be shipped for coining to the U.S. Mint in Philadelphia, an expensive, slow, and risky undertaking. Meanwhile, private mints made coins that could be used in local markets. With the opening of the San Francisco Mint in 1854, gold could be converted quickly and efficiently into U.S. legal tender.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
place: label: place of issue
content: United States: California, San Francisco
label: referenced
content: United States: California
label: referenced
content: United States: California, San Francisco
setName: label: See more items in
content: Work and Industry: National Numismatic Collection
label: See more items in
content: National Treasures exhibit
label: See more items in
content: Coins, Currency and Medals
label: See more items in
content: Josiah K. Lilly Jr. Collection
publisher: label: Related Publication
content: Kendrick, Kathleen M. and Peter C. Liebhold. Smithsonian Treasures of American History
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Estate of Josiah K. Lilly
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: NU.68.159.0210
label: accession number
content: 283645
label: catalog number
content: 68.159.0210
objectType: label: Object Name
content: coin
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: gold (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: 0 (overall die axis)
label: Physical Description
content: 0 (overall die axis measurement)
label: Physical Description
content: struck (overall production method)
label: Measurements
content: overall: 22 mm; 7/8 in