If you collect gold coins of the United States of America by type, you have probably been told that the "Liberty Tens", that is the Gobrecht Eagles, come in two types or designs: the no-motto type of 1838-1865, and the with-motto type of 1866-1907. Well, for the normal collector, that about covers the design. Simple reference texts will confirm these two types and probably add a third, that of the two-year type issued in 1838-9 sometimes called the 'old portrait'. Becuase examples of the first two years of the design are pretty costly in high grade, it seems that many type collectors are not bothered by ignoring them. Whether two or three will cover the subject can be left up to the collector.
With recent scholarship into the design changes on the Gobrecht Eagle, it is now clear that there are quite a few more than two or three designs. Now by design, or design-type, we have adapted the definition used by noted numismatic writer William T. Gibbs (1992). Gibbs says that a type "represents a specific design" and new type is a "departure from the earlier design". In contrast, a variety is a 'variation' from a design, its specifications, position of date or mintmark, etc. In our admittedly expanded definition of type, we mean a design intended and executed. Departures from the design are variations where hand added elements may differ from year to year. Departures from the design are new designs when the change is intended and executed (hubbed), and supplant the previous design. In all cases, design changes will be obvious though possibly required the discerning eye. In many cases, variations will be 'microscopic' or equivocal, but they will overlay the recognizable design. There is, of course, the considerable possibility of diagreement over the terms, their application generally or in any specific instance.
With this in place, we note that at present some six different obverse and six different reverse designs were used in the seventy year production of the Gobrecht Eagle. Not all combinations of therse were made, so the number of collectable combinations is actually only twelve. In the following, we will set out the first business strike appearances of each of the designs as they were produced from each of the five minting faciltiies that produced Gobrecht Eagles. Types are designated by (arabic) number for obverses, by (small Roman) letter for reverses. Lastly, we will give a contracted description of each type for reference.
Philadelphia. Year Type Comment 1838 1-a 'old portrait' 1839 2-b 'type of 1838' 1839 3-c 'new portrait' 1840 4-c 1842 4'-c large date 1847 5-c 1859 5-d 1860 6-d 1866 6-e 1881 6-f
New Orleans 1841 4-c 1842 4'-c large date 1848 5-c 1879 6-e 1881 6-f
San Francisco 1854 5-c 1866 5-e 1870 6-e 1881 6-f
Carson City 1870 6-e 1881 6-f
Denver 1906 6-f
In this listing, the following addenda are appropriate. Philadelphia Eagles of 1842 were made in both 4-c (small date) and 4'-c (large date) types. Philadelphia Eagles of 1847 were made in both 4'-c and5-c types. Philadelphia Eagles of 1860-1 were made in both 5-d and 6-d types. The 1867 and 1869 Philadephia Eagles are actually of obverse 5/6 type. Both obverse type 5 and 6 proof Eagles were also made in 1869. The business strike 1877 Eagle is the anachronistic 5-e type apparently, and the proofs are 6-e.
Design Descriptions and Characteristics. Obverses Type 1. Old or First Portrait/Head. Liberty's neck with strongly curved truncation; peak of coronet between fifth and sixth stars (counting clockwise from the year numerals) and nearer the sixth; central bun of Liberty's hair has a rounded contour and five prominent folds; portion of hair is swept back obscuring the ear; L of LIBERTY is close to the front of the coronet; the stars are large with hairlike separators; the year numerals are small and curve (legend style) close to and inconformity with the dentilated border.
Type 2. Old or First Portrait/Head, modified hairstyle. Liberty's neck with strongly curved truncation; peak of coronet between fifth and sixth stars (as above) and nearer the sixth; central bun of Liberty;s hair has bulged contour and six prominent folds; portion of hair is swept back obscring the ear; L of LIBERTY is close to the front of the coronet; the stars are large and curve (legend style) close to in in conformity with the dentilated border.
Type 3. New or Second Portrait/Head, curved year numerals. Liberty's neck with moderately curved truncation; peak of coronet between sixth and seventh stars and nearer the sixth than the seventh; central bun of Liberty's hair has a bulged contour and six prominent folds; hair at ear is trimmed leaving a few curls atop the ear and the ear nearly fully exposed; L of LIBERTY is farther from the front of the coronet than previously; the stars are small with more obvious facet separators; the year numerals are small and curve (legend style) close to and in conformity with the dentilated border.
Type 4. New or Second Portrait/Head, small year numerals in line. Liberty's neck with moderately curved truncation; peak of coronet more equidistant between sixth and seventh stars than in type 3; but still slightly nearer the sith than the seventh; central bun f Liberty's hair has a bulged contour and six prominent folds; hair at ear as in type 3; L in LIBERTY as in type 3; small stars and obvious facet separators; the year numerals are small and in line about centered between truncation and the dentilated border.
Type 4'. New or Second Portrait/Head, large year numerals in line. Design as in type 4 except the year numerals are larger and in line about centered between truncation and the dentilated border.
Type 5. New or Second Portrait/Head, modified hairstyle, large year numerals in line. Liberty's truncation slightly modified relative to type 4; peak of coronet as in type 4; central bun of Liberty's hair has a rounded contour and five prominent folds; hair at ear as in type 3,4; L in LIBERTY as in type 3,4; small stars with obvious facet separators; the year numerals large, in line, about centered as before.
Type 6. New or Second Portrait/Head, remodified hairstyle, large year numerals in line. (p> Liberty's truncation as in type 5; peak of coronet as in type 4,5; central bun of Liberty's hair has a bulged cntour and six prominent folds; hair at ear as in types 3,4,5; L of LIBERTY as in types 3,4,5; small stars and obvious facet separators; the year numerals large, in line, and about centered as before.
Reverses. Type a. No motto, large letters. Eagle with narrow wingtips; (eagle's) right claw (grasping olive branch) with long talons; left shield margin is thickened but mostly unshaded; legend and denomination have large letters.
Type b. No motto, large letters, modified shield. Eagle with narrow wingtips; (eagle's) right claw (grasping olive branch) with long talons; left shield margin is divided or shaded; legend and denomination have large letters.
Type c. No motto, small letters, modified shield. Eagle with thickened wingtips; (eagle's) right claw (grasping olive branch) with shorter talons; left shield margin is divided or shaded; legend and denomination have small letters.
Type d. No motto, small letters, modified shield, modified arrows. Eagle, legend and denomination as in type c but with smaller talons and thinner arrow shafts than previously.
Type e. Motto, small letters, thick shield verticals. Motto IN GOD WE TRUST added on banner above eagle; eagle, legend and denomination as in type c,d with smaller talons and thinner arrow shafts; vertical shield elements thick (as before); some eagle feather stems behind arrow feathers prominent (as before).
Type f. Motto, small letters, thin shield verticals. Motto IN GOD WE TRUST on banner above eagle; eagle, legend and denomination as in type c,d,e with smaller talons and thinner arrow shafts; vertical shield elements thinned; all eagle feather stems behind arrow feathers softened and of nearly equal prominence.
References
Breen, Walter (1988). "Encyclopedia of U. S. and Colonial Coins", Chapter 37.
Gibbs, William T. (1992). "Type, variety coins distinctly different", Coin World, June 22.
Valente, Edward (1995a). "Definitive Types of Gobrecht Eagles". Gobrecht Eagle Quarterly, 1, 55-75.
Valente, Edward (1995b). "The Final Gobrecht Eagle Reverse", Gobrecht Eagle Quarterly, 2, 40-44.