U.S. $2.50 Indian Head Gold Piece (1908-1929) // American Premier Coinage Series // Wood Presentation Box

The $2.50 Indian Head gold piece is a vintage American gold coin minted from 1908-1929. The U.S. government issued gold coins for circulation from 1795 to 1933 in denominations of $1 through $20. Today, however, they are seldom seen but are cherished by coin collectors, investors, and enthusiasts of American history alike. Offered here is a pleasant example that has been hand-selected by professional numismatists after screening thousands of coins for quality and eye-appeal.

By the early twentieth century, the designs of U.S. gold coins were long overdue for a makeover. The Liberty Head design had been employed on all gold coins for nearly 60 years with little modification. President Theodore Roosevelt took a personal interest in redesigning the nation’s gold coins and commissioned famed sculptor Augustus Saint-Gaudens to create new patterns for the $10 and $20 gold pieces, which debuted in 1907 with much fanfare. The new $2.50 and $5 designs followed the next year. These two coins are distinctly unusual because they are the only U.S. coins ever minted with incuse designs-- that is, the letters and images are depressed into an otherwise flat plane. All other coins have images and letters which are raised above the surface. This incuse concept originated from William Sturgis Bigelow, a close friend of Roosevelt who was impressed by the Egyptian reliefs in the Boston Museum of Fine arts. Never before used on modern coins, he and Roosevelt felt the concept had promise for that purpose. Well-known sculptor Bela Lyon Pratt was commissioned to enact their vision. The chosen obverse design features a Native American warrior with a feathered war bonnet encircled by 13 stars, representing the original states. The reverse features an eagle perched upon fasces intertwined with an olive branch, symbolic of peace and preparedness. The $2.50 gold Indian proved to be a relatively short-lived series. It was coined from 1908 to 1915, and then again from 1925-1929, making it the last $2.50 gold piece in U.S. history.

Each coin is housed in an airtight capsule and presented in a luxurious, plush-lined wood box with embossed metallic gold lettering, piano-black finish, and certificate of authenticity. The coin is unconditionally guaranteed to be genuine, dated between 1908 and 1929, and will match the quality of the one shown.