1800 $10 VF35 PCGS....

Description

Handsome 1800 Eagle, BD-1, VF35

1800 $10 VF35 PCGS. Breen-6842, BD-1, High R.3. BD-1 is the only known variety for 1800 eagles. All examples have star 7 double-punched, and many display a die crack along the top of LIBERTY. Both diagnostics are visible on this example. There is an additional minor die crack extending under the base of the olive branch to the eagle's tail feathers.
The Capped Bust design, by Chief Engraver Robert Scot, had been used on the eagle from the first issue in 1795. The Heraldic Eagle reverse debuted in 1797 and--in what has been described as either a blunder or poor judgment--Scot placed the arrows (a symbol of war) in the eagle's right or honorable claw, and the olive branch (the symbol of peace) in the left or sinister claw. Thus the image was supposedly a promotion of war instead of peace, though Scot's actual intentions are unknown. Gold eagles were intended to be a coin of commerce but as Q. David Bowers notes (2005), "In their own time, eagles of the 1795 to 1804 era were seldom seen in everyday circulation, as the face value was equivalent to a week or more of wages for the typical person. Instead, these pieces were the coins of choice for large transactions and international commerce. Government accounts indicate that most were exported and melted, thus being of little value to the intended purpose of establishing a circulating federal coinage."
Certainly some eagles did circulate, as shown by the wear on this coin, notably a small mark on the bust near star 13 and a few short scratches clustered below the arrows on the reverse. However, the overall appearance is excellent. Both sides display warm gold patina, with red highlights near the rims and darker accents around the date. The centers boast a blush of bright yellow-gold, and all devices and lettering are clear. With 200-300 known specimens, 1800 eagles are considered an available variety of the type, but as with all early gold "available" is a relative term. This coin is a handsome and scarce representative of a popular early gold type.
From The Menlo Park Collection.(Registry values: P2)

Coin Index Numbers: (PCGS# 8563, GSID# 9347)

Metal: 91.67% Gold, 8.33% Copper
Weight: 17.50 grams
AGW: 0.51577oz
Mintage: 5,999

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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