The 2008 Bald Eagle $5 Gold Coin was released as part of a three coin commemorative program to mark the recovery of the Bald Eagle species and the 35th anniversary of the Endangered Species Act of 1973. The other two coins released were a silver dollar and a clad half dollar.
The obverse of the $5 gold coin features two young Bald Eagles within their natural habitat, as designed by Susan Gamble and sculpted by Phebe Hemphill. The inscriptions read “Liberty”, “In God We Trust”, and the date “2008″. The reverse features the current Great Seal of the United States, sculpted by Don Everhart. Inscriptions surrounding the eagle read “United States of America” and “Five Dollars”. A ribbon within the eagle’s beak includes the motto “E Pluribus Unum”.
The Bald Eagle Commemorative Gold Coins were produced in proof and uncirculated versions at the West Point Mint. The coins were sold individually, or as part of a Bald Eagle Commemorative 3 Coin Proof Set, which included proof versions of he $5 gold, silver dollar, and half dollar. The three coin sets had a product limit of 25,000 units and sold out within a month. The $5 gold coins had a maximum authorized mintage of 100,000 coins across all product options.
Prices for the gold coins were at higher levels than previously issued $5 gold commemoratives. This was due to a sharp rise in the underlying price of gold. The US Mint provided introductory pricing for a brief period, after which regular pricing went into effect.
Coin Specifications
Designer: Susan Gamble (obverse), Don Everhart (reverse)
Weight: 8.3590 g
Composition: 90% gold (0.242 ounces of gold)
Diameter: 21.6 mm
Maximum Authorized Mintage: 100,000
2008-W Uncirculated Bald Eagle $5 Gold Coin
Introductory Price: $284.95
Regular Price: $309.95
Final Mintage: 15,009
2008-W Proof Bald Eagle $5 Gold Coin
Pre-Issue Price: $294.95
Regular Price: $319.95
Final Mintage: 59,269
As part of a commemorative program which included three coins, the 2008 Bald Eagle Silver Dollar was issued to mark the recovery of the species and the 35th anniversary of the Endangered Species Act. The other coins in the program were a $5 gold coin and copper-nickel clad half dollar.
The silver dollar obverse features an image of a mature Bald Eagle in flight. This was designed by Joel Iskowitz and sculpted by Don Everhart. The inscriptions include “Liberty”, “In God We Trust”, and the date “2008″. The reverse of the coin features the Great Seal of the United States in use from 1782 to 1841, as sculpted by Jim Licaretz. The inscriptions include “United States of America” above, “One Dollar” below, and the motto “E Pluribus Unum” on a ribbon in the eagle’s beak.
The Bald Eagle Silver Dollar was minted at Philadelphia in proof and uncirculated versions. The coins were sold individually or within several specially issued sets. A proof version of the silver dollar was included in the Bald Eagle Commemorative 3 Coin Proof Set, which also included proof versions of the $5 gold and half dollar coins. An uncirculated version of the silver dollar was included in the Coin and Medal Set, which contained a bronze medal from the National Wildlife Refuge System Centennial Medal series. Later in the year, the proof silver dollar was also included in the 2008 American Legacy Collection.
The Bald Eagle Commemorative Coins all went on sale at the United States Mint on January 15, 2008. Introductory pricing was available through February 14, 2008. Sales officially ended on December 12, 2008.
Coin Specifications
Designer: Joel Iskowitz (obverse), Jim Licaretz (reverse)
Weight: 26.7300 g
Composition: 90% Silver (0.7736 ounces of silver)
Diameter: 38.1 mm
Maximum Authorized Mintage: 500,000
2008-P Uncirculated Bald Eagle Silver Dollar
Pre-Issue Price: $35.95
Regular Price: $37.95
Final Mintage: 119,204
2008-P Proof Bald Eagle Silver Dollar
Pre-Issue Price:$39.95
Regular Price: $43.95
Final Mintage: 294,601
The 2008 Bald Eagle Half Dollar represented the first commemorative half dollar coin issued since 2003. The coin was issued as part of the Bald Eagle Commemorative Coin Program, authorized to celebrate the recovery of the Bald Eagle species and the 35th anniversary of the Endangered Species Act. The two other coins issued for the program were a $5 gold coin and silver dollar.
The obverse of the coin features two baby eaglets and an egg within a Bald Eagle nest. The inscriptions include “Liberty” and the date “2008″ separated by a star with the motto “In God We Trust” below. The obverse was designed by Susan Gamble and sculpted by Joseph Menna.
The reverse of the half dollar features the Bald Eagle “Challenger” with an American flag in the background. “Challenger” is a non-releasable Bald Eagle who has been trained to free fly at major events during the National Anthem. The reverse inscriptions read “E Pluribus Unum”, “Challenger”, “United States of America”, and “Half Dollar”. The reverse was designed by Donna Weaver and sculpted by Charles Vickers.
The Bald Eagle Half Dollars were minted at the San Francisco Mint in proof and uncirculated versions. The coins were sold individually or included in two specially issued sets. The Bald Eagle Commemorative 3 Coin Proof Set, contained proof versions of the half dollar, dollar, and $5 gold coins. The Bald Eagle Commemorative Young Collector’s Set contained the uncirculated version of the half dollar and educational information for younger collectors.
The maximum authorized mintage for the half dollar across all options was 750,00. All coins of the program included a surcharge payable to the American Eagle Foundation for the continuation of their work.
Coin Specifications
Designer: Susan Gamble (obverse), Donna Weaver (reverse)
Weight: 11.3400 g
Composition: 91.67% copper, 8.33% nickel
Diameter: 30.61 mm
Maximum Authorized Mintage: 750,000
2008-P Uncirculated Bald Eagle Half Dollar
Pre-Issue Price: $7.95
Regular Price: $8.95
Final Mintage: 120,180
2008-P Proof Bald Eagle Half Dollar
Pre-Issue Price: $9.95
Regular Price: $10.95
Final Mintage: 220,577
