1916-S $5 Indian (1916-S Half Eagle Indian) PCGS MS63. This mint state, branch mint 1916-S Half Eagle is well struck with full details on the high parts of the Indian’s bonnet, the feathers in the headdress, and the feathers on the highest part of the eagle’s wing. The coin is fully lustrous, and the surfaces are exceptionally clean for the grade. Of course, no wear is seen as expected for a mint state coin.
Only the San Francisco Mint produced half eagles in 1916, which was the first time a denomination was struck solely at a branch mint.

In 1908 the new Indian Head half eagle was produced. Designed by Bela Lyon Pratt, the new half eagle had two very different innovations related to its design. One was the realism used in the portrait of the Indian brave on the obverse, and the other was the use of incuse design details. President Theodore Roosevelt, influenced by his friend, Dr. William Sturgis Bigelow, wanted the coinage of the country redesigned. His “pet crime” was to bypass the mediocre Charles Barber, the Mint Engraver. Roosevelt, who was now in his second term of office, wanted to reform the coinage of the United States, which he felt was “atrociously hideous”. He wanted the coin to use an American Indian as an emblem of liberty and to use the incuse design of the ancients.

The obverse shows a profile view of an authentic looking brave facing left. He is wearing a full headdress. Above him is LIBERTY and below is the date. Six five-pointed stars are on the left and seven are on the right. The reverse has a standing eagle, reminiscent of the reverse of Saint-Gaudens’ eagle coin. Pratt fit the four inscriptions on the reverse without it seeming overcrowded. E PLURIBUS UNUM is in the left field, and IN GOD WE TRUST is in the right. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, the words separated by dots is above, and FIVE DOLLARS is below. The eagle stands on a bundle of arrows that resembles the Roman fasces, symbol of the power to kill, and holds an olive branch, symbol of peace.

The use of realism in the obverse portrait was innovative because prior designed Indian head motifs used stylized busts and fanciful war bonnets. Although the name and tribe of Pratt’s Indian brave are unknown, he is clearly authentic looking. Pratt’s use of this figure is seen as an extension of a trend started in 1899 with the portrait of “Running Antelope” on the five dollar silver certificate.