1806 $5 Round Top 6, 7x6 Stars MS64 NGC. CAC....

Description

Desirable 1806 Capped Bust Right Half Eagle
Round Top 6, 7x6 Stars, BD-6, MS64

1806 $5 Round Top 6, 7x6 Stars MS64 NGC. CAC. Breen-6448, BD-6, R.2. Six different die varieties are known for the 1806 half eagle--five varieties with a pointed 6 in the date and the present BD-6 variety, with a round top or knobbed 6. The Capped Head Right design was retired midway through 1807, but a substantial mintage of 64,093 pieces was accomplished in 1806. In Early U.S. Gold Coin Varieties, John Dannreuther estimates 35,000 to 50,000 of them were of the BD-6 variety, as it is the most available today. The surviving population is believed to total 600-900 examples in all grades. This issue's occasional availability in Mint State makes it a logical choice for type collectors.
Early collectors prized the 1806 half eagles, and specimens appeared in some of the earliest coin auctions in this country. The important A.C. Kline Collection (M. Thomas & Sons, 6/1855) featured an example of this issue as lot 181. One of the key features of the BD-6 variety is the placement of the obverse stars in a 7x6 pattern around the bust (previously the stars were arranged 8x5). Catalogers began to notice this distinction by the time of the Sixth Semi-Annual Sale (Woodward, 3/1865), where lot 2760 in the half eagle section reads, "1806 Six stars facing; fine and exceedingly rare." The lot sold to J.O. Emery for $8, probably a bargain price even in those days.
The present coin is sharply struck, with strong detail on the central design elements, and there is just a touch of softness on the peripheral stars. The surfaces are enhanced by even orange-gold color and thick mint luster. No handling marks are visible without a loupe, suggestive of an even higher grade. It would be nearly impossible to improve upon this specimen, as NGC and PCGS together have certified only three coins in higher grades (6/09).
From The Bay State Collection, Part Two.(Registry values: P2)

Coin Index Numbers: (NGC ID# 25P5, PCGS# 8089, GSID# 8806)

Metal: 91.67% Gold, 8.33% Copper
Weight: 8.75 grams
AGW: 0.25789oz
Mintage: 64,093

Note for clients in the European Union: This lot is considered by the European Union to be “investment gold”. We believe that it meets the criteria established in Article 344(1), point (2) of Council Directive 2006/112/EC and thus should be exempt from import VAT regardless of the selling price. Any questions or concerns about VAT should be addressed to your accountant or local tax authority.

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