1797 Half Eagle Varieties - Eagle With Shield Reverse

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1797 FIVE DOLLARS
OR HALF EAGLE -
Eagle and Shield on Reverse
(see also 1797 Half Eagle -
Plain Eagle on Reverse)

PCGS No: 8077

Mintage:
Circulation strikes: Unknown
Proofs: 0

Designer: Robert Scot

Diameter: ±25 millimeters

Metal content:
Gold - 91.7%
Silver and Copper - 8.3%

Weight: ±135 grains (8.748 grams)

Edge: Reeded

Mintmark: None (all dates of this type were struck at the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Mint)

Image courtesy of Mid-American Rare Coin Galleries

Varieties (3):
15 Obverse Stars, 1797/5 Overdate - Extremely Rare
15 Obverse Stars, Normal Date - Unique
16 Obverse Stars - Extremely Rare

Notes:
The finest Uncirculated examples graded by PCGS are 2 MS-61's.

Sources and/or recommended reading:
"Walter Breen's Complete Encyclopedia Of U.S. And Colonial Coins" by Walter Breen

"Early U.S. Half Eagles 1795-1838" by Walter Breen

"The PCGS Population Report, July 2003" by The Professional Coin Grading Service

1797 Half Eagle Varieties and Equivalents

Small Eagle Reverse
Variety	Adams	Breen (Monograph)	Breen (Encyclopedia)	Hilt	Miller (Variety)	Miller (Obv/Rev)

15 Obverse Stars, Wide Date	3	10-J	6419	11-L	17	1-A
15 Obverse Stars, Close Date	1	11-J	6419	12-L	18	2-A
16 Obverse Stars	2	12-K	6420	13-K	19	3-B
16 Obverse Stars	New	New	6420	13-J	20	3-C

Heraldic Eagle Reverse
16 Obverse Stars	6	12-X	6424	13-M	21⁽¹⁾	3-Y⁽²⁾
15 Obverse Stars, 1797/5 Overdate	4	13-Y	6425	10-N	22⁽³⁾	4-Y
15 Obverse Stars, Normal Date	New	New⁽⁴⁾	New	New	New	New
15 Obverse Stars, 1797/5 Overdate - DELISTED	5	14-Z⁽⁵⁾	6425	Not listed	23	5-Z⁽⁶⁾
Notes: 1. Miller equates his Variety 21 with Breen 13-Y, which is incorrect. It should be 12-X. 2. Miller's Y reverse was not used with the 16 Star obverse. It should be Reverse X. 3. Miller equates his Variety 22 with Breen 14-Y, which never existed. It should be 13-Y. 4. This variety combines a new obverse with Breen's Reverse Y. 5. Breen followed Adams and listed the 14-Z combination in his original monograph on Half Eagles, but de-listed this variety in his "Encyclopedia" where he noted that this was a heavily rusted late state of the 13-Y combination. 6. Miller surmised correctly that this was a late state of his 4-Y combination, but listed it as a separate die variety anyway, apparently following Breen's early listing and unaware of the later de-listing (see Note 5).

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