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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;dougsmit, post: 4792589, member: 19463&quot;]Of the Greek ones shown, this unidentified one seems the only one with what I would call the heraldic pose (breast facing, head to one side).&nbsp; It would be great to know what the engraver of the first US eagle design had seen when he adapted the type.&nbsp; I would suspect that might be a matter of record if he kept a diary.&nbsp; I do love the early Akragas design with side view eagles but it did not serve as the model coin. </p><p><br /></p><p>This AR obol (11mm, 0.52g) of Cilicia (uncertain or Tarsos???) does not count because the bird is only 3/4 facing and does not have the reverted head.&nbsp; I only show it because it is 4th century and unlike what has been shown above.</p><p>[ATTACH=full]1164398[/ATTACH] </p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>Ryro did show but did not label this type from Apameia, Phrygia. The AE22 shows the eagle alighting on a maenander pattern and is flanked by the caps of the Dioscuri.&nbsp;&nbsp; Again, it is not close enough to the US type to claim copyright infringement.&nbsp; </p><p>[ATTACH=full]1164404[/ATTACH] </p><p><br /></p><p>Gordian III, Valerian, Aurelian and Carus got the head reverted part right on Alexandrian tetradrachms.</p><p>[ATTACH=full]1164406[/ATTACH] [ATTACH=full]1164407[/ATTACH] [ATTACH=full]1164408[/ATTACH] [ATTACH=full]1164409[/ATTACH] </p><p><br /></p><p>Still, the best I have seen are the Syrian tetradrachms of Caracalla through Trebonianus Gallus.&nbsp; These are common enough that I would expect any 18th century die cutter to have seen the type. </p><p>Caracalla, Antioch, head right</p><p>[ATTACH=full]1164412[/ATTACH] </p><p><br /></p><p>and Caracalla, head left from Akko Ptolemos</p><p>[ATTACH=full]1164415[/ATTACH] </p><p><br /></p><p>Other US coins used 3/4 eagles which date back much further but I believe the most likely coin that inspired the first US birds was a Roman Provincial.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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