Best Type Set dates for $5 Half Eagle?

With the price of gold on the rise, I don't know if it's the best time to be looking for one of these, but anyway...

I don't want an Indian head, and it's just for a type set, so I don't want any varieties, hard-to-find mint marks, etc.

So I think that means a Liberty Head and nothing older. Right?

If that is true, what year(s) should I be looking for? My Red Book is several years old, but at least the mintage numbers and relative prices should give me a ballpark idea.

Edit: for bonus points, what are ballpark prices I'd be looking at for a nice, problem-free MS63, MS64, or MS65?

It looks like the price goes way up from 64 to 65...

 

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Graded ones are way overpriced wait for a good auction on the bay and steal one raw or a good buy it now for around $500.

 

Lots of fakes. This advice works if the OP is an expert in the series and can tell the fakes from good coins, knows how to tell a cleaned coin from not from a photo, and can grade. Lots of assumptions.

 

I would not buy gold off of Ebay that is not verified by
a TPG. Too many fakes. I'm sure one of the bullion dealers
will have what you need. Might be a bit pricey, but peace
of mind goes a long way.

 

Thats why if it is make sure the seller accepts returns,you both learn something.

 

Fake U.S. gold pieces have been in numismatic circulation since I started collecting in 1960 and before. Even if you are an expert, you can fooled by pictures, and there are no guarantees that you will get the coin in the picture. For the vast majority of collectors, certified by a major grading service, i.e. the “the big 4”, is the way to go.

Having said that, if you want something a little different, the 1907-D $5 is quite common, even in MS-64. The 1901-S is common too as well as some dates the 1880s. Check out the dates in a “Red Book.”

 

Good books are your friend. What I like to do, since not a lot of date collectors of US gold unlike other issues, is get a little better date for common prices. Inter-library loans of good books on the series or things like PCGS websites goes through every date and lets you know what is a little scarcer but you can luck into getting for near common prices. Then you have both a numismatic and bullion play.

 

Here is an example of a common date that sounds exotic. It is an 1886-S, and it's graded MS-64.