5 Dollars Capped Bust (1821) — United States

Overview

A Proof strike 5 Dollars standard circulation gold coin of the United States, titled '5 Dollars Capped Bust'. The obverse features Capped liberty facing left surrounded by 13 stars. The reverse depicts a Heraldic eagle with a Union shield. Minted in 1821 as a Proof in a limited mintage of 3 pieces, composed of Gold (.9167) (.0833 silver and copper) with a reeded edge.

Specifications

Country

United States

Year

1821

Composition

Gold (.9167) (.0833 silver and copper)

Weight

8.75 g

Diameter

25 mm

Mint

United States Mint of Philadelphia

Shape

Round

Technique

Milled

References

KM# 43, PCGS# 8116-8121, 8123-8125, etc.

Issuer

United States

Design details

Collector insights

• Design heritage: John Reich, William Kneass is credited as the designer for the Standard circulation coins series. Designer attribution helps distinguish this issue from later restrikes or unofficial copies that reuse only the motif.
• Struck at: United States Mint of Philadelphia. Confirm the mintmark on your example before comparing prices — same-year issues from different mints often trade at very different levels.
• Low mintage: Only 3 pieces reported. This puts the issue into key-date territory for its series; expect steep grade-based price scaling and a higher counterfeit risk — provenance and third-party grading matter.
• Precious metal content: Gold (.9167) (.0833 silver and copper) — bullion value provides a price floor, and many circulated examples were melted during the 1979–1980 and post-2010 silver spikes, reducing the surviving population.
• Catalogue reference: Listed as KM# 43, PCGS# 8116-8121, 8123-8125, etc.. Use this reference code when cross-checking auction archives, dealer inventories, and standard printed catalogues.

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