First gold coin struck by the United States (1795).
The half eagle is the workhorse of pre-1933 US gold: 134 years, every mint, every gold rush. Its 0.2419 ozt of gold now melts around $1,100 — but the 1933 confiscation-and-melt destroyed so much of the later mintages that collectible premiums often dwarf melt. If you inherit one, never sell it at melt without checking the date.
Charlotte and Dahlonega existed solely to coin southern gold-rush metal — their C and D mint marks turn a bullion coin into a four-figure artifact.
Check these before treating any gold piece as melt. Think you have one? Check recent auction records before selling, and read the grading basics first.
Never clean a coin. Ever. Cleaning permanently destroys collector value — dark original toning is worth more than shiny damage.
Gear that settles it: an electromagnetic verifier, a calibrated scale and calipers — counterfeit basics.
Melt is ~$1,114 (0.2419 ozt at $4,607 gold). Collectible dates - branch mints, the 1909-O, the deceptive 1929 - are worth multiples. Date and mint mark first, always.
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