U.S. Mint coin reference

1798–1804: Draped Bust Silver Dollar (Heraldic Eagle Reverse Type)

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1799 Draped Bust Silver Dollar Heraldic Eagle obverse and reverse

Coin specifications and design

Years made: 1798-1804

Country: United States

Denomination: One dollar

Category: Circulating coin

Composition: 89.24% silver, 10.76% copper

Silver fineness: 89.24%

Silver weight: 0.7734 oz ASW

Weight: 26.96 g

Diameter: 39-40 mm

Thickness: Approx. 2.4 mm

Edge: Lettered

Designer: Robert Scot / Gilbert Stuart concept

Design identification

Obverse: Liberty bust portrait.

Reverse: Heraldic eagle with shield, olive branch, and arrows beneath an arc of stars.

Draped Bust Dollar Heraldic Eagle history

The Heraldic Eagle reverse appeared on Draped Bust dollars in 1798, replacing the smaller naturalistic eagle with a shielded eagle based on the Great Seal. Regular issues carry dates through 1803; Mint deliveries recorded in 1804 were made from earlier-dated dies.

All genuine 1804-dated dollars were struck decades after the date they bear. That exceptional issue has a separate production history and should not be used to infer a normal 1804 circulation mintage for this subtype.