Draped Bust Half
1796 - 1807

The first half dollar minted
in the United States was the
Flowing Hair half, which
was only made for two
years, 1794 and 1795. In
1796 the design was
changed to what is now
called the Draped Bust half.
This coin was made until
1807, a period of 11 years.
While the Flowing Hair half
coins were made in small
quantities and are thus so
rare as to be very expensive
the Draped Bust half was
made over a longer period
and is thus more readily
available, at least in the
lower grades.

The original reverse displayed a small eagle

surrounded by a wreath but in

My 1806 example shown above is the only example I own and is worth about $ 500. The coin has been cleaned or it would be worth at least $750. In 1806 Thomas Jefferson was president, the Lewis and Clark expedition returned to St. Louis, MO, and Andrew Jackson killed a man in a duel who had insulted his wife. On June 16, there was a total eclipse of the sun seen for 4 1/2 minutes in a path from Kansas City, Missouri to Salem, Mass.
1804 it was made much larger with a shield, called the Heraldic Eagle, an adaptation of the great seal of the United States. This is the reverse of the coin at left. Only 839,576 of these were minted that year, and there are at least 8 different variations of minor differences in the design. This one is believed to be a knobbed 6 with large stars. The coin has been certified as VF 20 and is stored in the D case.
1806: March 29: Construction is authorized of the National Road (the first United States federal highway). April 18: The U.S. Congress passes the Non-importation Act in an attempt to coerce Great Britain to suspend its impressment of American sailors and to respect American sovereignty and neutrality on the high seas. May 30: Future President Andrew Jackson fights his second duel, killing Charles Dickinson who had accused Jackson's wife of bigamy; Jackson has a bullet lodged close to his heart. September 23: The Lewis and Clark Expedition reaches St. Louis, Missouri, ending a successful exploration of the Louisiana Territory and the Pacific Northwest. October 3:  Oliver Cowdery is born. November 15:  Pike Expedition: During his second exploratory expedition, Lieutenant Zebulon Pike sees a distant mountain peak while near the Colorado foothills of the Rocky Mountains (later named Pikes Peak in his honor). Undated: Noah Webster publishes A Compendious Dictionary of the English Language, his first American English dictionary.