Indian Head Half Eagles were minted from 1908 through 1916 and then again in 1929. The $5 pieces have incuse designs, except for the mint marks on certain issues, making them one of the few circulating pieces of U.S. coinage with recessed designs. Most varieties are quite rare in uncirculated grade and very rare in excellent condition. Among the rarest Indian series are the 1909-O and the 1929, of which only 200 exist today. Most of the 662,000 that were struck were stored by the U.S. Treasury and never released for circulation. When the Indian Head Half Eagle was discontinued in 1933, they were recalled by President Franklin Delano Roosevelt and melted down.
