Options
The tail feathers of an eagle ...
Sunnywood
Posts: 2,683 ✭
Our coinage has included many depictions of an eagle. Some are artistic and reasonably in conformance with nature, such as the Titian Peale / Christian Gobrecht eagle flying across the reverse of the Gobrecht dollars. Others are essentially symbolic in nature, such as the "heraldic eagle" with Union Shield emblazoned upon its breast. In another post today, relating to the placement of mintmarks on Barber quarters, I posted a group of images similar to this one:
A close look shows that Barber shows nine tail feathers on the eagle, including a larger central tail feather. The subject of tail feathers is well known to collectors due to the 1878 Morgan dollar. The first adopted reverse showed eight tail feathers of approximately equal size. The reverse hub was redesigned later in the year, and the number of tail feathers was reduced to seven, supposedly more in line with Morgan's intent.
became: 
I wondered whether the redesign was intended to make the eagle more anatomically accurate, so I did a little research on the subject. According to the Hawk Mountain Research Center, all raptors (birds of prey such as hawks, falcons and eagles) have an even number of tail feathers. The larger species, including the Bald Eagle, have precisely twelve. The feathers get progressively larger towards the center of the tail, but there is no central tail feather as that would imply an odd number of feathers.
Has our coinage ever gotten this right? A look back at the Heraldic Eagle reverse shows an even number of feathers, but only six:
The only coin I have found that has it right is - hold on to your hats you disparagers of modern coinage - the Sacagawea dollar. Both the "Cheerios" pattern dollars and the regular issue coins have twelve feathers !! Here is a pic of the Cheerios dollar tail feathers from the web:
Well, I guess I have to admit that at least one feature of our coinage has actually improved over time !!!
Edited to add: while the Cheerios Sac does show the correct number of feathers, twelve, it depicts one prominent central feather, with six below it, and five above it. This is still not quite correct, as there should not be a central tail feather - see further discussion below.
Best,
Sunnywood
A close look shows that Barber shows nine tail feathers on the eagle, including a larger central tail feather. The subject of tail feathers is well known to collectors due to the 1878 Morgan dollar. The first adopted reverse showed eight tail feathers of approximately equal size. The reverse hub was redesigned later in the year, and the number of tail feathers was reduced to seven, supposedly more in line with Morgan's intent.
became: I wondered whether the redesign was intended to make the eagle more anatomically accurate, so I did a little research on the subject. According to the Hawk Mountain Research Center, all raptors (birds of prey such as hawks, falcons and eagles) have an even number of tail feathers. The larger species, including the Bald Eagle, have precisely twelve. The feathers get progressively larger towards the center of the tail, but there is no central tail feather as that would imply an odd number of feathers.
Has our coinage ever gotten this right? A look back at the Heraldic Eagle reverse shows an even number of feathers, but only six:
The only coin I have found that has it right is - hold on to your hats you disparagers of modern coinage - the Sacagawea dollar. Both the "Cheerios" pattern dollars and the regular issue coins have twelve feathers !! Here is a pic of the Cheerios dollar tail feathers from the web:
Well, I guess I have to admit that at least one feature of our coinage has actually improved over time !!!
Edited to add: while the Cheerios Sac does show the correct number of feathers, twelve, it depicts one prominent central feather, with six below it, and five above it. This is still not quite correct, as there should not be a central tail feather - see further discussion below.
Best,
Sunnywood
0
Comments
No Way Out: Stimulus and Money Printing Are the Only Path Left
They got it right on the 1997 $100 Plat also.
Interesting. I never noticed it before but the Titian Peale/Christian Gobrecht eagle flying has an even 8 feathers.
The Longacre version has 7. Artistic licence?
The Longacre and Gobrecht eagles (left and right), as well as some others.
JRocco, that image on the platinum $100 looks quite correct in the feathering. Does anyone still call the $100 coin denomination a "Union?" I remember that the proposed $50 gold coins that inspired the 1877 patterns were to be called "half unions."
Very cool images shylock !!! I see there is even more variety in tail feather counts than I thought.
Sunnywood
Sunnywood's Rainbow-Toned Morgans (Retired)
Sunnywood's Barber Quarters (Retired)
By the way Sunnywood, I'm impressed you added Peale's name.
8 tail feathers
7 tail feathers
Actually, with or without the cross-hatch detail, there are still 12 feathers showing (that I can see).
Extending beneath the talon shows a full feather, above the full feather shows 5 feather edges, and below the full feather shows 6 feather edges.
I always thought the Peale/Gobrecht image was the best.
By the way, shylock - Gobrecht dollars used to be an obsession of mine (hence my avatar). I actually proposed several years ago that the 1838 and 1839 dollars showed evidence that the C. GOBRECHT F. had been effaced from the hub. At the time, I showed an 1839 dollar to several dealers at a show, none of whom could seem to see what i was talking about. Fortunately, John Dannreuther has come to the same conclusion, as described in his two excellent articles in the PCGS "Rare Coin Market Report" monthly magazine. (I admit I was sorry not to get an honorable mention though, for having made the same observation some time ago !!) I was also on record years ago saying that PCGS had the Original vs. Restrike concepts wrong, and that there were no J-58, J-84 or J-104 ever struck in Die Alignment I, and that the legend of the 18 "original" J-58 struck in 1836 in Die Alignment I was hogwash. So it should come as no surprise that I mentioned Titian Peale !!
Best,
Sunnywood
Sunnywood's Rainbow-Toned Morgans (Retired)
Sunnywood's Barber Quarters (Retired)
<< <i>Thanks
JRocco, that image on the platinum $100 looks quite correct in the feathering. Does anyone still call the $100 coin denomination a "Union?" I remember that the proposed $50 gold coins that inspired the 1877 patterns were to be called "half unions."
Very cool images shylock !!! I see there is even more variety in tail feather counts than I thought.
Sunnywood >>
I quess this statement is telling your age!
AskRaq, you are right, there are clearly twelve on the Cheerios dollar, although one is shown as a central feather (there are six below it, and five above it). The image on the platinum $100 is more correct, as it does not show a single central tail feather.
Sunnywood
Sunnywood's Rainbow-Toned Morgans (Retired)
Sunnywood's Barber Quarters (Retired)
I use Numismatic Art In America by Cornelius Vermeule for crediting Titian Peale the creator of the Gobrecht eagle.
"The flying eagle of the reverse was entrusted to the astute eye of Titian Peale, of the gifted Philadelphia family.
He was the ornithological draughtsman who was to prepare for publication studies of birds by Charles Lucien Bonaparte
and also possibly some of those by John James Audubon. The dies were made ready and the obverse signed by
Christian Gobrecht, the Pennsylvanian whose private commisions for banknote plates and medals had earned him
a place in the Mint...the eagle flying amid the stars of all the states is the first numismantic bird that could be said
derive from nature rather than from colonial carving or heraldry."