1808 Capped Draped Bust $5.00 Half Eagle

The half eagle was redesigned by John Reich in 1807. His Capped Draped Bust theme featured Lady Liberty wearing a popular early 19th century cloth headdress called a “mob cap”. On the cap the word LIBERTY is inscribed.

The Capped Draped Bust Half Eagle remained in production only through 1812, and all of them are very scarce. The 1808 is not a true key date since most Capped Draped Bust Half Eagles are nearly equal in rarity, but was chosen to represent the series.

Some tasteless critics of the day complained about the image of Lady Liberty, ridiculing her as Reich’s “fat mistress”. The laughter was replaced long ago by deep abiding reverence paid by many generations of adoring coin collectors.





1808 Capped Draped Bust $5.00 Half Eagle

1808 Half Eagle obv 1808 Half Eagle rev
Coin Photos courtesy of Heritage Auction Galleries


1808 Half Eagle Value Trend Chart

1808 Capped Draped Bust $5.00 Half Eagle (F-12 Condition)

The blue line above charts the percent value gain since Year 2000 of the 1808 Capped Draped Bust $5.00 Half Eagle in F-12 condition. It rates below the Rare Coin Values Index, which measures the composite percent change over the same time period of a group of 87 rare coins chosen to represent the breadth of US numismatics. The Index was created to get a feel for the direction and strength of the overall rare US coin market. The 1808 Half Eagle is one of the 87 coins comprising the Index. All Index data is updated monthly.


 

Members of the Rare Coin Values Index
Date Coin Type Grade Est. Retail Value May 2012
1793 Liberty Cap Left Half Cent G-4 4500
1802 2/0 Rev 1802 Draped Bust Half Cent G-4 1000
1793 Chain AMERI. Flowing Hair Large Cent G-4 12500
1794 Starred Rev Liberty Cap Large Cent G-4 17500
1799 Draped Bust Large Cent G-4 4500
1856 Flying Eagle Cent G-4 7000
1877 Indian Head Cent G-4 800
1909-S VDB Lincoln Cent G-4 750
1914-D Lincoln Cent G-4 225
1922-D (No D) Lincoln Cent G-4 700
1864 Small Motto Two Cent F-12 400
1865 Three Cent Silver PF-65 1500
1884 Three Cent Nickel F-12 650
1795 Flowing Hair Half Dime G-4 1200
1797 Draped Bust, Small Eagle Half Dime G-4 1400
1800 Draped Bust, Large Eagle Half Dime G-4 950
1865 Seated Liberty Half Dime G-4 325
1879 Shield Nickel VG-8 550
1885 Liberty Nickel VG-8 750
1913-S Type 2 Buffalo Nickel G-4 350
1918/7-D Buffalo Nickel G-4 1300
1937-D 3 Legs Buffalo Nickel G-4 625
1796 Draped Bust Dime G-4 3000
1822 Capped Bust Dime G-4 1500
1871-CC Seated Liberty Dime G-4 2000
1895-O Barber Dime G-4 375
1916-D Mercury Dime VG-8 1500
1942/1-D Mercury Dime VG-8 650
1875-CC Twenty Cent G-4 400
1796 Draped Bust, Small Eagle Quarter G-4 12500
1804 Draped Bust, Large Eagle Quarter G-4 4500
1823 Capped Bust Quarter G-4 40000
1870-CC Seated Liberty Quarter G-4 10000
1896-S Barber Quarter G-4 1000
1901-S Barber Quarter G-4 5000
1916 Standing Liberty Quarter G-4 2900
1918/7-S Standing Liberty Quarter G-4 1550
1923-S Standing Liberty Quarter G-4 300
1932-D Washington Quarter F-12 200
1794 Flowing Hair Half Dollar G-4 5000
1796 16 Stars Draped Bust Small Eagle Half Dollar G-4 35000
1815/12 Capped Bust Half Dollar G-4 1750
1836 Reed Edge Capped Bust Half Dollar G-4 1250
1870-CC Seated Liberty Half Dollar G-4 900
1892-O Barber Half Dollar G-4 300
1921-D Walking Liberty Half Dollar VG-8 450
1938-D Walking Liberty Half Dollar VG-8 100
1953-S Franklin Half Dollar MS-65 FBL 25000
1794 Flowing Hair Silver Dollar G-4 60000
1796 Draped Bust Small Eagle Silver Dollar G-4 1500
1801 Draped Bust Large Eagle Silver Dollar G-4 1250
1836 Gobrecht Dollar, Name on Base, Circ. Issue XF-40 12500
1873-CC Seated Liberty Dollar G-4 7500
1879 Trade Dollar PF-65 12750
1889-CC Morgan Silver Dollar F-12 1000
1893-S Morgan Silver Dollar F-12 4250
1895 Morgan Silver Dollar F-12 (PF Only) 35000
1928 Peace Dollar F-12 375
1849-C Cl. Wreath Type One Gold Dollar VF-20 1100
1855-D Type Two Gold Dollar VF-20 6600
1861-D Type Three Gold Dollar VF-20 8500
1796 No Stars Capped Bust $ 2.50 Quarter Eagle F-12 52500
1808 Capped Draped Bust $2.50 Quarter Eagle F-12 27500
1826 Capped Head $2.50 Quarter Eagle F-12 8450
1838-C Classic Head $2.50 Quarter Eagle F-12 1150
1848 CAL. Coronet $2.50 Quarter Eagle F-12 38500
1856-D Coronet $2.50 Quarter Eagle F-12 5000
1911-D Indian Head $2.50 Quarter Eagle XF-40 4250
1854-D Indian Head Three Dollar F-12 9250
1795 Capped Bust Small Eagle $5.00 Half Eagle F-12 20000
1800 Capped Bust Large Eagle $5.00 Half Eagle F-12 4000
1808 Capped Draped Bust $5.00 Half Eagle F-12 3250
1821 Capped Head $5.00 Half Eagle F-12 17500
1833 Large Date Capped Head $5.00 Half Eagle F-12 20000
1834 Cross 4 Classic Head $5.00 Half Eagle F-12 1950
1861-D Coronet $5.00 Half Eagle F-12 6500
1870-CC Coronet $5.00 Half Eagle F-12 6250
1909-O Indian Head $5.00 Half Eagle XF-40 6000
1795 9 Leaves Capped Bust Small Eagle $10 Eagle F-12 47500
1804 Capped Bust Large Eagle $10 Eagle F-12 22500
1841-O Coronet $10 Eagle F-12 4000
1879-CC Coronet $10 Eagle F-12 9400
1911-D Indian Head $10 Eagle XF-40 1450
1930-S Indian Head $10 Eagle XF-40 12500
1859-O Coronet $20 Double Eagle VF-20 9500
1907 Wire Rim St-Gaudens $20 Double Eagle XF-40 11000
1921 St-Gaudens $20 Double Eagle XF-40 47500


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The RCVI 87