The Coverlet Eagle stamp features an artistic rendering in watercolor and graphite on paper by Arthur G. Merkley of a detail from a Tyler coverlet made circa 1853 for Calista C. James. Harry Tyler (1801-1858) was a weaver who lived in Jefferson County, N.Y.. Merkley's circa 1941 rendering is part of the Index of American Design, a visual record of American material culture that is housed at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C.

The detail from the coverlet is an eagle emblem used by Tyler to sign his work. It resembles the Great Seal of the United States. An eagle with a shield on its breast stands with outspread wings. The eagle holds three arrows in its right talon and two olive branches in its left talon. Facing left, the eagle holds in its beak a banner containing the words E Pluribus Unum. Eighteen stars appear over the eagle's head.