Coin specifications and design
Design identification
Obverse: Liberty bust portrait.
Reverse: A small eagle on 1795–1798 issues or a heraldic eagle on 1798–1804 issues.
U.S. Mint coin reference
1795-1804 Draped Bust Silver Dollar
Draped Bust silver dollars include Small Eagle and Heraldic Eagle reverse types.
1795–1804 Draped Bust Silver Dollar history notes
The Draped Bust dollar replaced the Flowing Hair portrait in 1795. Robert Scot engraved the coin from a portrait concept associated with Gilbert Stuart, and John Eckstein is linked to the model used in developing the design. Small Eagle reverses preceded the Heraldic Eagle introduced during 1798.
Although Mint accounts record silver dollars through 1804, regular production used dies dated no later than 1803. The famous 1804-dated dollars were made later for diplomatic and collector purposes and should not be treated as ordinary 1804 circulation strikes.