One (1) 5 dollar coin, proof
United States, 1834
Obverse Image: Left-facing Liberty head with curled hair and wearing headband. 13 stars along coin edge.
Obverse Text: LIBERTY / 1834
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.
Reverse Text: UNITED STATES OF AMERICA / 5 D.
William Kneass was responsible for a new and altogether charming version of the Liberty head, employed on half and quarter eagles during the second half of the 1830s. For the first time since the 1790s, the motto E PLURIBUS UNUM was absent from the half eagle and its smaller relative. This was to distinguish the new coins from earlier ones. The older coins were now worth more than their stated value and were being exported and melted. Including this coin, eight proofs of the new 1834 half eagle are recorded. Collectors call this design the "Classic Head."
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