1860-C $5 (1860-C Half Eagle) NGC MS61. This Southern branch mint, mint state 1860-C Half Eagle shows not a trace of wear, in keeping with the grade. Mint luster is seen within the protected areas of the devices. The obverse strike is strong on the highest strands of Libertys hair and the centers of most of the stars. The reverse is blurry as a result of having been struck from a defective die that was probably caused by rust. Because the reverse is usually flat, the coin is graded from the obverse detail.

When Mint Engraver William Kneass was unable to resume his duties after a debilitating stroke, Christian Gobrecht was asked to do his work, which included making a new half eagle that would be uniform with the eagle. The Liberty Head (No Motto on Reverse) half eagle was minted from 1839 to 1866.

Gobrechts design shows a left facing profile of Liberty wearing a LIBERTY inscribed coronet. Her hair is tied in the back and there are two loose curls that hang down her neck. Around the head are thirteen six-pointed stars, and the date is below the truncation. At the periphery of the coin are dentils. The coin also has a reeded edge. The reverse of the coin shows a heraldic eagle similar to the one on the Classic Head eagle. The inscription UNITED STATES OF AMERICA surrounds the eagle, except for its wing tips, in an arc. The denomination is below, separated with dots, and written as FIVE D. The mintmark, C for Charlotte, appears below the eagle and above the denomination.

In 1838, the first half eagle was struck at the Charlotte Mint. Quarter eagles were minted later in the year and gold dollars in 1849. However, no coins were made in 1845 because there was a fire, and the entire structure burned to the ground. Its last coinage was in 1861, twenty-four years after it opened.

In its population report, NGC shows 8 1860-C half eagles in MS61 with 11 better.