1801 Half Dollar - The 1801 Half Dollar retained the Draped Bust obverse motif, but changed the reverse. It now resembled the Great Seal of the United States. A similar design was already in use on half dimes and dollars. It shows a heraldic eagle facing left with a Union shield on its chest. A banner inscribed E PLURIBUS UNUM curls across the left wing and under the right. Except for the wing tips, the inscription UNITED STATES OF AMERICA is in an arc near the periphery. Thirteen stars are above the eagle’s head under the clouds in an arc pattern. Dentils are near the edge on both sides of the coin. The edge is lettered FIFTY CENTS OR HALF A DOLLAR with ornamentation between the words.

In a colossal design blunder, Robert Scot placed the arrows of the reverse in the wrong talon. On the left side, the eagle’s right talon, arrows symbolize aggressive militarism. They should have been placed in the left talon with the olive branch in the right. If this was a deliberate rearrangement, it shows a young country making a statement about its sovereignty in a time of war. If it was unintentional, it shows a new, inexperienced country that can’t even get its symbolism correct.

With a mintage of 30,289, the 1801 Half Dollar had the second lowest mintage of the Draped Bust, Large Eagle series. Only 122 coins have been certified by NGC for this date and 239 have been certified by PCGS, and these numbers do not account for crossovers and resubmissions.

Specifications:
Designer: Robert Scot
Weight: 13.48 grams
Composition: .8924 silver, .1076 copper
Diameter: approximately 32.5 mm
Edge: FIFTY CENTS OR HALF A DOLLAR with decorations between