1994-W $5 World Cup MS69 Certification #14707688, PCGS #9684

Ron Guth

In 1994, the United States hosted the playoffs for the fifteenth FIFA World Cup soccer tournament.  To commemorate the event, the U.S. Mint struck specially designed Half Dollars, Silver Dollars and $5 gold pieces.  The obverse of the $5 gold piece features the World Cup trophy; the reverse displays the official World Cup USA '94 logo with laurel leaves on either side.

The World Cup $5 gold pieces were struck in both Mint State and Proof versions at the West Point Mint.  The mintage of the Mint State version dropped slightly from the previous year, setting a new record low at the time.  The mintage of the Proof version actually went up, exceeding the previous year's mintage by nearly 11,000 pieces.

Superb Mint State and Proof examples can be found with ease, usually for only a small premium over the gold value.