| The Half Eagle holds the distinction of being
the only coin of any type or denomination to be struck at all seven mints.
They were struck in two types - - the ultra-scarce "No Motto", minted from 1839
until 1865, and the "With Motto" (In God We Trust) type, struck from 1866 until
1908. During the Civil War, widespread gold hoarding led the U.S. government to
significantly reduce the mintages of these coins, making issues from that era
particularly rare. Like many other U.S. coins, the Liberty Half Eagle depics
the crowned image of liberty, on the obverse and, on the reverse, a majestic bald
eagle with a shield over its breast, perched on an olive branch and holding three
arrows. |