A head of Washington facing left, with "Liberty" above the head, the date below, and "In God We Trust" in the left field.

George Washington was the first President of the United States (1789–97), the Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War, and one of the Founding Fathers of the United States.

Designer John Flanagan from a 1786 bust by Houdon / William Cousins. The Mint repeatedly adjusted the design. In the first three years of striking (1932, 1934 and 1935), three different varieties of the obverse are known. They are generally called after the appearance of "in god we trust", to the left of Washington's head: the Light Motto, Medium Motto, and Heavy Motto. The Heavy Motto apparently proved most satisfactory to the Mint, as beginning in 1936, only pieces bearing the Heavy Motto were struck. Major varieties include several Doubled Die Obverses.

The obverse was modified six times. One revision, in 1944, left Flanagan's initials, on the cutoff of the bust, distorted; this was adjusted the following year. Beginning in 1937, and continuing until the end of silver circulation production with pieces dated 1964, a very slightly different reverse was used for proof coins, as opposed to circulation pieces. This is most evident in examining the letters "es" in "States" which almost touch on circulation strikes, and display a separation on proofs.

An eagle with wings outspread perches on a bundle of arrows framed below by two olive branches.

There are some Over-Mintmark varieties (D/S, S/D and S/S). On these varieties, the mint mark looks like a D over S (or viсe versa), with the top and left of the S appearing underneath the upper left side of the final D.

E Pluribus Unum — Latin for "Out of many, one" — is a phrase on the Seal of the United States. Never codified by law, E Pluribus Unum was considered a de facto motto of the United States until 1956 when the United States Congress passed an act (H. J. Resolution 396), adopting "In God We Trust" as the official motto.

119 reeds