Benjamin Franklin who designed America’s first coin, the Fugio Cent, criticized the original Great Seal of the United States, writing to his daughter that the eagle looked more like a turkey than a bird of prey.
Franklin then went on to compare the character of the two birds. Here is his original letter:
Franklin wrote, “For my own part I wish the bald eagle had not been chosen as the representative of our country. He is a bird of bad moral character. He does not get his living honestly.” He then described a scene where an eagle perched on a dead tree sees a fishing hawk made a catch, only to have the eagle pursue the hawk and snatch the fish.
“Besides, he is a rank coward,” Franklin alleged about the eagle, noting small birds chase eagles from their habitat.
The turkey also has special standing in Americana.
At the first Thanksgiving in 1621, the Wampanoag people brought five deer to the feast, and the Pilgrims brought “fowle,” including the turkey, which they avidly hunted.
So let’s talk turkey when it comes to the design of coins.
As a former member of the Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee, I routinely worked with other members and the U.S. Mint to help select eagle and other designs for commemorative coins. I even wrote a book about the history of coin design.
In celebration of Thanksgiving, I used artificial intelligence to redesign U.S. dollars, replacing the bald eagle with a turkey. Below are the depictions.
In the comment section, state which rendition you prefer out of all of the depictions. (If you’re feeling ambitious, create your own renditions using Dall-E 3.
Flowing Hair Dollar
Morgan Dollar
Peace Dollar
Eisenhower Dollar
Susan B. Anthony Dollar
Sacagawea Dollar
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