5250

[L#5250] 1866-S $5 NGC AU50

Currency:USD Category:Coins & Paper Money / US Coins Start Price:1,500.00 USD Estimated At:6,000.00 - 7,000.00 USD
[L#5250] 1866-S $5 NGC AU50
The year 1866 was one of transition in gold coins. Patriotic fervor arising out of the trauma of Civil War gave birth to demands for a religious motto to be added to America's coinage. In 1861, 1862, and 1863, two variations of this motto were used on Pattern coins. The first, GOD OUR TRUST, was rejected; the more poetic IN GOD WE TRUST sounded better and was included on the new Two-cent Pieces of 1864 and Shield Nickels of 1866. The Act of March 3, 1865 included a clause mandating this motto. However, it took Philadelphia Mint some months to add it to the production dies. (Philadelphia makes dies for all branch mints). For this reason, a few No Motto Five Dollar Gold pieces were made at San Francisco before the new With Motto reverse dies arrived. The present piece is one of those 9,000 struck. Not many come on the market in any one year, especially in choice AU50 quality!