1860-D $5 (1860-D Half Eagle) NGC AU58. Significant amounts of subdued mint luster remain within the devices of this Southern branch mint 1860-D Half Eagle. The coin shows very light abrasion and wear on the highest points, in keeping with the grade. The strike is much stronger than most often seen on branch mint half eagles of the time. Clash marks are seen on the obverse, but these do not detract from the grade or the coins value.

Christian Gobrecht designed the half eagle. It shows Liberty wearing a coronet facing left, her hair tied with beads in the back. Two loose curls flow down her neck. She is surrounded by thirteen six-pointed stars with the date below. Dentils are around the periphery of the coin. The reverse shows a heraldic eagle with wings outstretched facing left. An olive branch and arrows are clutched in its talons. Surrounding the eagle is the inscription UNITED STATE OF AMERICA, interrupted by the wing tips. The denomination FIVE D. is below. Between the E in FIVE and the intersection of the olive branch and arrows is the D mintmark. Modern D mint coins should not be confused with Dahlonega coins. Today a coin bearing the D mintmark was minted in Denver, which began production in 1906.

The branch mint began as a small building erected in the town of Dahlonega. Power for its coining equipment came from steam produced in a boiler in the basement. Two small steam driven presses were on the first floor just above the boiler room. They could produce one coin per second. Because of the small size of the presses, the largest coins produced were half eagles.

The mint worked as a refinery for gold deposits. People would bring in dust, nuggets, bars, and foreign coins. They would then be refined to establish their value. Silver that naturally occurred in the Georgia gold was not removed from the oar because the gold was more pure than the standard 90% fine. After the gold was coined, it could be picked up by the depositor.

Most of the gold deposited at Dahlonega took place in the 1840s. The discovery of gold in California brought in deposits of new gold; however, in 1854 the San Francisco Mint opened, and the California gold that had been deposited in Georgia diminished. In January of 1861, Georgia seceded from the Union. Coins produced later in that year were made for the Confederacy. Since the same dies were used when the Mint was in Federal control, the coinage produced cannot be distinguished today. After the mint closed in June, it became a Confederate assay office for the rest of the Civil War.

The original mintage of the 1860-D half eagle was 14,635. In its population report, NGC shows 74 certified in AU58 with 14 better.