Commems Collection Bullion: 1982 Bald Eagle National Symbol Bicentennial

Here's a story about a 1982 silver round (or medal, depending on your view of such pieces) about the American Bald Eagle and its adoption as a National Symbol of the United States. I enjoy collecting commemorative silver rounds from the 1980s and digging into their back story.


On the same day the Continental Congress approved and signed the Declaration of Independence - July 4, 1776 - the delegates assembled also resolved "That Dr. [Benjamin] Franklin, Mr. J[ohn] Adams and Mr. [Thomas] Jefferson, be a committee, to bring in a device for a seal for the United States of America."

The delegates likely had no idea the task would prove to be as arduous and time-consuming as it was. Before an acceptable Great Seal would be created, nearly six years would pass, three different committees would be assembled and disbanded, more than a dozen different committee members would be engaged and, ultimately, Charles Thomson, the secretary of the Continental Congress, would be called upon to consolidate all previous efforts into final designs.

Thomson provided descriptions (but no illustrations) of the final designs for the obverse and reverse of the Great Seal of the United States to the Continental Congress on June 20, 1782; the designs were accepted by the Congress on the same day.

Thomson's description: "The most prominent feature [of the obverse] is the American bald eagle supporting the shield, or escutcheon, which is composed of 13 red and white stripes, representing the original States, and a blue top which unites the shield and represents Congress. The motto, E Pluribus Unum (Out of many, one), alludes to this union. The olive branch and 13 arrows denote the power of peace and war, which is exclusively vested in Congress. The constellation of stars denotes a new State taking its place and rank among other sovereign powers."

In 1981, during the the 97th Congress, the House and Senate resolved to mark the 200th anniversary of the Seal's adoption in order to "make people aware of the current plight of our country's living symbol.[and].draw attention to the spirit the American bald eagle represents and the pride that it signifies." Congress requested President Ronald Reagan to make a proclamation that called upon the American public, wildlife conservation organizations and educational institutions across the country to observe the bicentennial of the American Bald Eagle throughout 1982 and to mark June 20, 1982 with celebrations that "encourage additional efforts to protect and increase the population of the symbol of our Nation."

Reagan issued his proclamation on January 28,1982. Of the bald eagle, he stated:

"To catch a glimpse of this majestic raptor is to understand why the Founding Fathers chose it to represent the strength and courage of our great Nation. Its grace and power in flight, its vigilance and loyalty in defending its family group, and, most of all, its courage make the eagle a proud and appropriate symbol for the United States. Its presence on the Great Seal of the United States--one talon extending the olive branch of peace, the other brandishing the arrows of defense--is a symbol of friendship and cooperation to our allies and a warning to our adversaries that we are not to be trod upon."

At the time the joint resolution was approved, the US had not yet launched its modern commemorative coin program with the 1982 George Washington 250th Birth Anniversary Half Dollar. As such, the inclusion of a commemorative coin within the resolution was not considered by Congress - potential numismatic souvenirs of the anniversary were left to the private sector.

The Olde New England Mint of Wilton, Connecticut was one company that issued such souvenir commemorative pieces - silver and gold rounds/medals it billed as "Double Eagles." The silver commemorative packages it sold consisted of a one-ounce silver piece, an official United States Postal Service (USPS) commemorative envelope for the Great Seal with first day of issue cancellation (June 15, 1982) and an individual registration number on a Certificate of Authenticity; a small leaflet with some historical background on the Great Seal was also included.

1982 American Eagle Bicentennial Silver Round


1982 American Eagle Bicentennial First Day Cover


The obverse of the piece features an American Bald Eagle that appears to be moments from landing on a tree limb off the field of view to the left; trees and a mountain range can be seen in the background. Advertisements for the piece stated that the obverse depicted "a majestic eagle soaring over the western skies" - one look at the posture of the eagle and it is clear that it is not "soaring." The round's reverse depicts a heraldic eagle; it is based on the design seen on the Great Seal but with notable differences, one is that the eagle is shown with arrows clutched in its right talon and an olive branch in its left one the round - this is opposite to the eagle presented on the Great Seal.

US Great Seal

(Image Credit: U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Public Affairs. Washington, DC.)

The piece was designed/sculpted by Thomas D. Rogers, Sr., the former US Mint Sculptor/Engraver (1991-2001). It was struck by Metal Arts Company (Rochester, NY). Olde New England Mint was a mint in name only, it was a sales and marketing company that included silver pieces such as the one described here in its portfolio.

The silver round is 39mm in diameter, contains one ounce of 0.999 fine silver and has a reeded edge. Each proof piece was priced at $25.00 (plus $1.60 P&H) with a limit of five per order. At the time the pieces were launched in late June 1982, the spot price of silver was about $5.35 per ounce. The spot price would rise steadily throughout the rest of the year and hit approximately $9.85 at the time of the round's last ad placements. The price of the round, however, remained at $25.00 throughout - Olde New England Mint (ONEM) either considered its built-in margin sufficient to cover the increase in spot price, or ONEM purchased all the silver it needed at the lower price and didn't feel to raise the price of its product based on its replacement cost (the model used at the gas pump!).


For more of my topics on commemorative coins and medals, including a few additional bullion stories, see: Commems Collection.