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half eagle

half eagle

9.9
A former United States gold coin worth five dollars
  • noun
  • /hæf ˈiːɡəl/
  • Archaic
translation icon : medio águila
  • Collectors often seek out half eagles because of their historical significance and gold content.

Examples

  • The rare 1861 half eagle sold for a record price at the auction.

  • She inherited a half eagle from her grandfather's coin collection.

  • The half eagle was a popular coin in the 19th century.

  • I found a rare half eagle in my grandfather's collection.

  • Collectors often seek out half eagles because of their historical significance and gold content.

  • The rare 1861 half eagle sold for a record price at the auction.

  • She inherited a half eagle from her grandfather's coin collection.

How Valuable

double eagle
  • Archaic
1 9.9
eagle
  • Archaic
4 9.9
half eagle
  • Archaic
9.9
dollar
1.0
quarter
  • US
230 1.0
nickel
  • US
142 1.0
cent
950 1.0

Surface Forms

half eagle singular
half eagles plural

Morphology

half + eagle

Because 'eagle' is specified here as a $10 gold coin, the compound 'half eagle' is directly interpretable as half of that coin (a $5 coin). This denomination-building composition is regular and predictable, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents can infer the meaning.

Etymology

Half eagle comes from old United States coins: an eagle was a large gold coin worth ten dollars, so a half eagle was literally half that size and value. That's why 'half eagle' means the five-dollar gold coin.