In 1796 the design was modified to what numismatists know as the Draped Bust type with Small Eagle reverse. Miss Liberty's ample bosom is shown, held at the bottom by drapery. The upper part of her hair is tied with a ribbon behind her head. The Small Eagle design employed on the reverse is different from the Small Eagle motif of 1794-5 in that the later version shows a stocky eagle perched on a puffy cloud, within a wreath. In general, half dimes of the 1796-1797 years, produced in several die varieties, are scarcer than the types before or after.

Draped Bust type half dimes with Heraldic Eagle reverse were minted from 1800 to 1805. The reverse displays an eagle holding arrows and an olive branch, with stars and clouds above, an adaptation of the Great Seal of the United States. A rarity within this span is the 1802, a coin to which Newlin devoted considerable space in his 1883 monograph on the series. Only a few dozen examples exist. The other dates of this type are readily available, although in high grades all but the 1800 are rare.

After 1805 no half dimes were struck until 1829, in which year a new design, the Capped Bust style, engraved by John Reich, made its appearance. Earlier, the Capped Bust motif had been used on dimes, quarters, and half dollars. The reverse shows an eagle perched on an olive branch and arrows. The Capped Bust style was minted continuously from 1829 to 1837, with no rarities within the span.

Budget Recommendations: Build a type set or date set in G-4 to VG-8 grade. As always, select coins with nice surfaces.

Recommendations for the Connoisseur: Early issues 1794-1805 are good values from Fine-12 to EF-40. 1796 and 1797 seem to be undervalued. Consider forming a type set of half dime designs. Only the brave specialist will want to tackle a variety collection of the early dates. Pick sharp strikes, which will be a challenge for the 1801-1805 dates. Issues 1829-1837 AU-50 to MS-60 are cheap. Nicely matched MS-63 coins of the 1829-1837 years would make a nice date set; the easiest way to do this is to look at a lot of slabbed coins and cherrypick those with good strikes and aesthetic appeal.

Elite Recommendations: Build a date set or type set AU-50 or better, with MS-60 or better coins as you can find them (which won't be often). Such dates as 1802 (in particular), 1803, and 1805 are prohibitively rare in grades above EF-40. Issues 1829-1837 can be obtained in MS-65 with some patience. As always, cherrypick for quality.