1809/8 Half Eagle (1809/8 $5) NGC MS62. Subdued mint luster emanates from the devices of this lovely 1809/8 Half Eagle. A few light wispy marks on the fields keep this coin from a higher mint state grade. The strike is exceptional for an early gold piece. All the stars centers are sharp, and excellent detail is present on Libertys hair and the eagles feathers. While this coin is usually listed as an 1809/9, researchers have recently wondered about it actually being an overdate. Unquestionably the nine is struck over something, but the number below might be another nine that was originally misplaced. Another question has to do with the size of the final nine. It is much larger than the other numbers in the date and more like the numbers that were used in the 1810 large date variety.

The Capped Bust Left Half Eagle was designed by John Reich and minted from 1807 to 1812. The obverse shows a bust of Liberty in profile facing left wearing a LIBERTY inscribed cap that was intended to represent a Phrygian cap. There are seven six-pointed stars to the left of Liberty and six to the right. Dentils are at the periphery of both sides of the coin. The reverse shows a heraldic eagle with wings upright and head turned to the left. The inscription UNITED STATES OF AMERICA is in an arc, interrupted by the wing tips, around the coin near the dentils. The motto E PLURIBUS UNUM is on a curved banner above the eagles head. The denomination written as 5 D. is below.

Unlike the prior half eagles of Robert Scot, the denomination is part of this coins design. Scots issues followed the European tradition of only valuing a gold piece by its weight and fineness, so the denomination was not necessary. Obviously with the new design it was felt that it was important to make the denomination explicit.

Reich also corrected Scots mistake in heraldry. Scot had placed the arrows in the eagles right talon and the olive branch in the left. This symbolism is a reversal of these two items and is an inaccurate modification of the Great Seal of the United States. The arrows in the right claw suggest extreme militarism, not the message a young country should want to give on its coinage. Reich corrected the error by placing the olive branch, symbol of peace, in the right claw and the arrows in the left.

When asked in 1825 about the proper emblem of Liberty for our coins, Thomas Jefferson responded that the Phrygian cap was not an appropriate symbol of freedom for the United States of America because we were never slaves. The Phrygian cap was worn by freed gladiators and slaves in Roman times to cover their short hair or shaved heads. However, the cap remained as part of the design on gold coins until it was replaced in 1834. It continued in use on half dollars until mid-1839 and on small silver coins until 1837-38. It was carried on a pole on silver coins smaller than the dollar until 1891, and worn again by Liberty on Mercury dimes until 1945 and Walking Liberty half dollars until 1947.

The 1809/8 had an original mintage of 33,875. In its population report NGC shows 209 coins in all grades. The MS62 is in the upper half of that group.