1795 $10 (1795 Eagle) 13 Leaves, NGC AU55. Early Eagle. This Early 1795 Eagle has an above average strike that shows strong detail on Libertys hair and the eagles breast feathers. The dentils on both sides are also well struck. The grade of AU55 is warranted because the lines of Libertys hair and the drapery show sufficient separation. Subdued mint luster is seen within the devices on both sides.

The Turban Head or Capped Bust to Right, Small Eagle Reverse, designed by Chief Engraver Robert Scot, was minted from 1795 to 1797. It was the first regular con struck for the United States. All of the coins in this series are rare with the highest mintage of 5,583 in 1795. They have the same basic design except that the 1795 issue has two major varieties, the present coin with 13 leaves below the eagle and the 9 leaves below the eagle.

The obverse shows a bust of a female Liberty in profile facing right with the date below and slightly to the left. The source of Scots obverse design is probably a Roman engraving that copied a Greek goddess. She wears a large, loose fitting cap, and some of her hair sweeps up and around the cap, making it seem like a turban. The cap itself is not a Phrygian cap, which was emblematic of freedom. It was a close fitting cap worn by freed slaves in ancient times to cover their shorn heads. Slaves were not permitted to grow their hair. So the cap used to cover these heads became associated with freedom.

However, when he was asked about it, Thomas Jefferson said that the Phrygian cap was not an appropriate symbol of freedom for the United States of America because we were never slaves. Nonetheless, it persisted as a symbol in American coinage perhaps because of its use in France and elsewhere in Europe. The reverse shows a rather scrawny eagle standing on a palm branch holding a wreath of laurel in its mouth as it looks right. For some, the eagle looks like a chicken with oversized wings. In an arc around the eagle are the words UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.

The coin has no denomination-- something that might appear as a sign of ineptitude on the part of early Mint employees to someone familiar with United States coinage of the 21st century. The omission was intentional, however, as United States coinage was new to the world market of the 18th century and the term Eagle or Ten Dollars would have been unfamiliar to merchants of the day. Like European coinage of the time, silver and gold pieces were valued by their weight and fineness so the denomination was largely irrelevant.

Thomas Jefferson chose Robert Scot to be the first Chief Engraver of the United States Mint on November 23, 1793. Scott was born in 1744 in Edinburgh, Scotland or England. (Documentary evidence is lacking as to where he was born.) He was trained as a watchmaker in England and learned engraving afterwards. He moved to the United States in 1777, where he worked as an engraver of plates, bills of exchange, and office scales. During the Revolution, he was an engraver of paper money. In 1780 he was made the State Engraver of Virginia. He moved to Philadelphia the next year. He was appointed Chief Engraver of the United States Mint on November 23, 1793 by David Rittenhouse, Mint Director. His salary in 1795 was 1,200 per year. The Mint Director received only $800 dollars per year more. Scots ability to make dies was limited, and he was advanced in years with failing eyesight. His work was somewhat less than that done in Europe at the time, and Scot was criticized for its poor quality. He was responsible for designs of most of Americas first coins. These include the Flowing Hair and the Draped Bust motifs used on the early silver coins, and the gold quarter eagle, half eagle and eagle. Scot also designed the 1794-1797 half cent, the 1800-1808 draped bust half cent, and the Thomas Jefferson Indian Peace Medal. Scot died on November 1, 1823 and was succeeded by William Kneass as Chief Engraver.

In its population report, NGC has certified 7 other 13 Leaves examples of the 1795 eagle with 21 better. As is the case with most early dated coins in better condition, this one is not easy to obtain. It is always sought after by type collectors, gold specialists, and investors. Because of its rarity and popularity, it has the potential to be in greater demand in the future.