Coin specifications and design
Design identification
Obverse: Liberty bust portrait.
Reverse: Small naturalistic eagle perched on a cloud within an open wreath.
U.S. Mint coin reference
1796–1797: Draped Bust Silver Half Dime (Small Eagle Reverse Type)
Draped Bust half dimes are scarce early silver type coins.
Draped Bust Half Dime Small Eagle history
The 1796–1797 half dime introduced the Draped Bust portrait to the denomination while retaining a small eagle within an open wreath. Star arrangements and die varieties differ within the short two-year subtype.
Production stopped after 1797 and did not resume until coins dated 1800, when the Heraldic Eagle reverse replaced this design. That break helps distinguish the Small Eagle subtype from the later continuation of the series.