1872 Half Eagle - 1872 $5 NGC AU53. This rare, low mintage 1872 Half Eagle has a wholesome look. Bright mint luster is within its devices on both sides of the coin. It is well struck at the peripheries with full details on the centers of the stars and the legends of the reverse. Light wear is seen on the high points, in keeping with the grade. The surfaces are original and clean, for the grade with no notable abrasion marks or other distractions.

Christian Gobrecht designed the half eagle. He was the third Chief Engraver at the United States Mint. He was born in Hanover, Pennsylvania in 1785. His father was a German immigrant, and his mother traced her ancestry to the early settlers of Plymouth, Massachusetts. Gobrecht married Mary Hewes in 1818. One of his early positions was as an engraver of clocks in Baltimore. Later he went to Philadelphia where he became a banknote engraver. He invented a machine that allowed one to convert a three-dimensional medal into an illustration. This was an excellent job and Gobrecht was understandably reluctant to work for the Mint for less money than he was making at the engraving firm. In order to persuade him to leave, Mint Director Robert Patterson prevailed upon Chief Engraver William Kneass, who had had a stroke, to take less in salary so more money would be available to hire Gobrecht on a permanent basis. In 1826 Gobrecht did his first work for the Mint as an assistant to Kneass. After Kneass stroke, Gobrecht did all the die and pattern work for the Mint. He became Chief Engraver in 1840 and served until his death in 1844. He was famous for his Liberty Seated motif which was used for all denominations of silver coinage including the half-dime, dime, quarter dollar, half dollar and silver dollar. He also designed the Liberty Head gold eagle, a motif that was also used on the half-cent, the cent, the gold quarter eagle, and the gold half eagle. 

The Liberty Head With Motto half eagle was minted from 1866 to 1908. It was designed by Christian Gobrecht and showed Liberty wearing a coronet as she faced left in profile. Her hair is tied in the back with beads while two loose curls flow down her neck. She is surrounded by thirteen six-pointed stars with the date below. Dentils are near the edge of both sides of the coin. The reverse of the coin shows the heraldic eagle with its head turned to the left. In its talons it holds an olive branch and arrows, symbols of peace and preparedness. Above its head on a banner, the motto IN GOD WE TRUST was added. The denomination is below. In addition to dentils, the coin has a reeded edge.

In March, 1865, a coinage act was passed that required that the motto be added to all coins large enough to accommodate it. The Mint interpreted this to mean for gold coinage the half eagle, the eagle, and the double eagle. The Liberty Head With Motto half eagle was created as a result of this mandate. (All silver coins larger than a dime also had the motto added.)

The 1872 half eagle had an incredibly low mintage of 1,660 coins. Only 50 to 65 are known to exist today. In its population report, NGC has 8 listed in AU53 condition with 14 better. PCGS also has 8 in AU53 with 10 better. These numbers do not account for crossovers and resubmissions.