1803 Capped Bust to Right Half Eagle

About This Coin

The 1803 Capped Bust to Right Half Eagle is a United States Gold Half Eagle from the Capped Bust to Right Half Eagles 1795-1807 series. The obverse features Liberty facing right wearing a cloth cap (pileus), while the reverse displays a small, naturalistic eagle perched on a palm branch within a wreath (1795-1798) or a heraldic eagle with shield on breast, olive branch and arrows in talons, with a banner reading E PLURIBUS UNUM (1795-1807). Designed by Robert Scot. Struck in 91.7% gold, 8.3% copper, weighing 8.75 grams, 25 mm in diameter, with a reeded edge. The Capped Bust Right Half Eagle ($5 gold) was the first gold coin struck at the U.S. Mint, with the 1795 issue predating even the first gold eagles. These coins served as the backbone of American gold commerce in the early Republic. The 1798 small eagle is a famous rarity. The Bass-Dannreuther reference catalogs numerous die varieties. These coins represent the very beginning of American gold coinage.