2 1/2 Dollars, United States, 1796
date: label: Date made
content: 1796
name: label: mint
content: United States Mint
label: designer
content: Scot, Robert
label: obverse engraver
content: Scot, Robert
notes: label: Description (Brief)
content: One (1) 2 1/2 dollar coin
label: Description (Brief)
content: United States, 1796
label: Description (Brief)
content: Obverse Image: Right-facing Liberty wearing a cap.
label: Description (Brief)
content: Obverse Text: LIBERTY / 1796
label: Description (Brief)
content: Reverse Image: Heraldic eagle with outstretched wings holding arrows and branch in talons, shield with stripes on chest, ribbon above shield, stars above eagle's head.
label: Description (Brief)
content: Reverse Text: UNITED STATES OF AMERICA / E PLURIBUS UNUM
label: Description
content: The smallest gold coin authorized by United States Congress in 1792 was a $2.50 piece called a quarter eagle. Though the obverse had a border of stars from late 1796 all the way until the denomination was retired in 1933, the very first coins lacked this. While it isn’t known precisely why the change occurred, it is known that fewer than 1,000 of these starless coins were ever produced.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
place: label: place made
content: United States
label: place of issue
content: United States
setName: label: See more items in
content: Work and Industry: National Numismatic Collection
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Chase Manhattan Bank
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: 1979.1263.00309
label: catalog number
content: 1979.1263.00309
label: accession number
content: 1979.1263
label: catalog number
content: CM01529
objectType: label: Object Name
content: Coin
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: gold (overall metal)
label: Physical Description
content: 0 (overall die axis)
label: Physical Description
content: 180 (overall die axis measurement)
label: Physical Description
content: struck (overall production method)
label: Measurements
content: overall:: .9 mm x 19.9 mm; 1/32 in x 25/32 in