1854-O $5 Liberty Head Half Eagle – PCGS AU55 | Ship of Gold Holder with California Gold Dust

Struck at the New Orleans Mint just years before the Civil War, this 1854-O Liberty Head Half Eagle is a scarce and desirable survivor from the antebellum South. Certified AU55 by PCGS, it is paired in the prestigious Ship of Gold holder with authentic California Gold Rush dust—uniting two defining symbols of 19th-century American history.

Designed by Christian Gobrecht, the Liberty Head $5 features Liberty facing left wearing a coronet inscribed LIBERTY, surrounded by thirteen stars with the date below. The reverse bears the heraldic eagle clutching arrows and an olive branch, the “O” mintmark proudly displayed beneath. Each half eagle struck at New Orleans was produced from native California gold shipped through the Gulf trade routes, a testament to the vast network linking the goldfields, mints, and commerce of the young republic.

This specimen displays rich honey-gold luster and sharp detail in the hair and eagle’s wings, with only light friction on the highest points. Its warm tone and strong strike make it a premium example for the grade. Mintages for New Orleans half eagles were small compared to Philadelphia output, and many were lost to melting or heavy Southern circulation—making high-grade survivors like this especially collectible.

Encapsulated in a Ship of Gold holder alongside genuine 1857 California gold dust recovered from the S.S. Central America treasure, this coin bridges two legendary stories: the New Orleans Mint’s frontier gold coinage and America’s most famous shipwreck recovery. A superb historical pairing for the advanced collector or investor seeking rarity, eye appeal, and provenance in one package.

The coin pictured is the exact coin you will receive.