Liberty Head $5 Gold with Motto Set, Circulation Strikes (1866-1908)

The motto "In God We Trust" was added to the reverse of the Liberty Half Eagle in 1866 and production continued unchanged for the next 42 years. While one might hope that eliminating the earlier "No Motto" dates (1839-1866) might make this set fairly easy to complete, such is not the case. There are two extraordinarily rare dates in this set. Top of the list is the 1875-P, with a miniscule mintage of only 200 pieces. Fewer than 10 business strikes are known, none in mint state. The other ultra rarity is the 1870-CC. While not as scarce as the 1875-P, this coin is extremely tough in high grade, with PCGS having certified only two Mint State examples over the past thirty years. After those two dates, things get easier, although all the "CC" mint issues during the 1870s will be challenging.