CAPPED BUST FIVE
DOLLARS OR HALF EAGLE (1807-1834)
Reich’s
CAPPED BUST FIVE DOLLARS OR CAPPED BUST HALF EAGLE (1807-1834):
John Reich designed the Capped Bust Half Eagle of 1807 to
1834. Although the 1818 to 1829 were done by Robert Scott,
he copied Reich’s earlier design, and the 1829 to 1834
designs were modified by William Kneass.
The obverse shows Liberty in profile facing
left wearing a LIBERTY inscribed cap that was intended to
represent a Phrygian cap. The Capped Bust Half Eagle, John
Reich’s design, has seven stars to the left of Liberty
and six to the right with the date below. Scott’s copies
of the Capped Bust Half Eagle were not nearly as artistic
as Reich’s. On his design, all thirteen stars encircle
Liberty’s head with the date below. Liberty’s
features are coarse and thick. His eagle on the Capped Bust
Half Eagle is more defiant with its opened mouth and aggressively
curved neck. The inscription UNITED STATES OF AMERICA is in
an arc around the eagle, interrupted by the wing tips. On
a banner over the eagle’s head between its wings is
the motto E PLURIBUS UNUM. The denomination written as 5 D
is below. Dentils are seen at the periphery of both sides
of the Capped Bust Half Eagle coin.
Reich corrected the error made by Robert
Scot in the design of the previous half eagle (as well as
his other heraldic eagle motifs). Scot had placed the arrows
in the eagle’s right or dexter claw and put the olive
branch in the left or sinister claw. This reversal of the
positions of these two items is an inaccurate modification
of the Great Seal of the United States. Arrows in the right
claw symbolize extreme militarism, which is hardly a message
a young nation should place on its coinage. On the Capped
Bust Half Eagle, the olive branch is in the right claw and
the arrows are in the left.
In 1825 Mint Director Samuel Moore wrote
to Thomas Jefferson asking him about the proper emblem of
Liberty for our coins. Jefferson replied that the Phrygian
cap was not appropriate to be worn on the head of a goddess
on United States coinage since we were never slaves. Nonetheless,
the cap remained until the Capped Bust Half Eagle was replaced
by the Classic Heads of 1834.
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