1798 Small 8

By 1798 the Philadelphia Mint had largely settled into Robert Scot's Heraldic Eagle reverse for the half eagle, retiring the small naturalistic eagle that defined the opening years of the denomination. Inside the 24,867-piece umbrella delivery for the year sit several distinct date logotypes punched into otherwise similar Draped Bust obverses. The Small 8 is exactly that: a date in which the final numeral is appreciably narrower and slightly shorter than the more common Large 8 punch used across most of the year's dies. Bass-Dannreuther catalogs the Small 8 as its own family of die marriages, separate from the Large 8 group and from the rare 13-star reverse pairing that sits in a higher rarity tier. The variety reflects a Mint still cutting its date punches by hand, with multiple logotype sizes moving through the engraving department.

Authentication begins at the date itself, where the final 8 should measure narrower and shorter than the same digit on a Large 8 reference, ideally a Bass-Dannreuther plate photo viewed at the same magnification. The two logotypes are distinct enough that side-by-side comparison settles the call, but altered date digits do exist on early gold and the surrounding fields should be checked for evidence of recutting. The reverse on a genuine Small 8 carries the standard 1798 Heraldic spread eagle with thirteen stars above its head; the rare 14-star reverse die is paired with a Large 8 obverse, and any Small 8 host showing a non-standard star count is suspect. Specifications match the rest of the series at 8.75 grams in 0.9167 fine gold, roughly 25 millimeters across, with a reeded edge.

Survival sits in the rough range of fifty to one hundred examples across all grades, scarcer than the Large 8 marriages but well above the legendary 1798 Small Eagle of seven known. The displayed mintage of 24,867 is a year-combined figure covering every 1798 die marriage; the Small 8 is one slice of that umbrella, which is why the variety lives in the Semi-Key tier. Auction results for problem-free pieces in middle circulated grades climb well into five figures, and the variety has a steady following among Draped Bust specialists who collect by die marriage rather than by date. See the full Draped Bust Half Eagle series history.