Mintings, printings show history

Darwinians and collectors can relish the evolution of the eagle on American coinage. Chosen as the national emblem, the eagle appeared on the first coins minted in 1794, but what an eagle.
The first bird had a swanlike quality, with long neck and unprepossesing head. That image quickly gave way to a more heroic image as the young nation itself grew more confident. By 1798, the eagle wings were widespread, and the bird's breast was covered by a shield with stars and stripes. It held arrows in its right claw and an olive branch in its left.
Dollars were not struck for a generation, but when new ones were issued in 1836, the eagle returned, transformed into a serenely flying creature without symbolic arrows or shield. By 1840, serenity gave way to more heroism. The eagle perched, but with the olive branch in its right claw and arrows in its left. When George Morgan redesigned the dollar in 1878, the bird reached the rim of the coin with its wingtips. It had no shield, and held its peaceful olive branch in the right claw.
'Peace' dollar
Such was the symbol until 1921, when the so-called "peace" dollar appeared. The eagle folded its wings on that one and stood facing the distant sunrise.
A.A. Weinman's walking eagle, unburdened by branches, proved popular on the half-dollar for 30 years beginning in 1916. The design returned on the silver bullion coinage.
Frank Gasparro created a new eagle for the Eisenhower dollar in 1971, and the race was on. The eagle has been reinterpreted frequently since then.
The Sacagawea dollar has Thomas Rogers' soaring eagle. For Olympic coinage, John Mercanti's eagle carried only olive branches. For the 1994 Prisoners of War commemorative, the eagle, flying with feathers spread, carried a broken chain on its leg. Bullion coinage has glorified the eagle. A family of eagles appears on the gold coins, and a soaring eagle with long wings graces the platinum coins.
A more warlike eagle, carrying arrows again, has been inserted into the newly redesigned $20 bill. The image is concealed in the paper, but the arrows are there.
Honoring the Queen
Evolution is inevitable in the image of Queen Elizabeth as well. Canada has just struck the first of its coins bearing a new portrait by Susanna Blunt. All circulating coins will carry the new image, and the Royal Canadian Mint expects the coins to show up by fall.
To mark the queen's 50th anniversary, the mint is issuing a replica of the 1953 silver proof set (with its first portrait); a 2003 coronation dollar, a 2003 uncirculated set and a coronation stamp and coin set. Queries go to the mint at (800) 268-64 or www.mint.ca.
XDaniel Webster is a columnist for the Philadelphia Inquirer.