Auction Name: 2026 January 8 US Coins Signature Auction - FUN Special Sessions: Ellsworth & Jacobson

Lot Number: 1018

Shortcut to Lot: HA.com/1389*1018

1800 $5 Pointed 1, BD-1, R.7, MS61 NGC. HBJ-218. Slight weakness is noted at the central obverse of this brilliant, fully lustrous half eagle. Light mint frost is noted on the devices with reflective fields that present a slight cameo effect. Both sides have wonderful straw-gold surfaces with faint olive overtones. This is the fourth appearance of a different example of the 1800 BD-1 rarity in our auctions.
Variety Equivalents: Adams-5, Breen 2-E, Miller-45, Bass missing.
Obverse Die: The obverse die is unique to this variety.
Reverse Die: The reverse die was also used for 1799 BD-6. See our die state description for further information.
Bass-Dannreuther Die State a/b: The obverse die is perfect while the reverse has a die crack from the border to the left diagonal of the A in STATES. The 1800 BD-1 half eagles present an earlier die state than the 1799 BD-6 half eagles that share the same reverse die. This proves that those 1799 half eagles were struck in 1800, or perhaps in 1801, after these 1800 Pointed 1 coins.
NGC Census Data (10/25): NGC has certified 108 Mint State 1800 half eagles between the five varieties, although this example is the only Mint State BD-1 half eagle that they have examined despite its lack of attribution on the holder. Their online census report shows two attributed examples graded AU58 and AU55.
Significant Examples: The Jacobson coin is tied for the finest of just five examples known to us and recorded below.
Breen (1966): "Not pictured in any catalogue known to me and not seen in any collection. The Guttag-Newcomer-Green coin has long since dropped out of sight, this being the discovery piece, apparently the only one known to Adams, and for some reason not pictured by him."
Bass-Dannreuther (2006): At his listing of 1799 BD-6, John Dannreuther discussed his suggested emission sequence: 1799 BD-5, 1799 BD-6, 1799 BD-5 (again), 1799 BD-6 (again), 1800 BD-1, and 1799 BD-6 (a third time). Another variety, 1799 BD-4, also used the same 1799-dated obverse die in an earlier die state. He writes: "Of course, we know that the Mint was more interested in producing coins than adhering to a chronological use of dies."
Heritage Commentary: The reverse die, in its use for the 1799 BD-6 half eagles, has "attenuated stars" that are the result of die lapping. Combined with further die cracks, it provides proof that some of the 1799 coins were struck after these 1800-dated coins.
Doug Winter Commentary: This is a variety that I've tried for years to cherry-pick and have had no luck. I think it's an extremely important coin that should be recognized by the grading services alongside the far more common Blunt 1 varieties (BD-2 through BD-5).
Provenance: Recorded in the following roster.

A Roster of Significant Examples provided by Ron Guth of the Numismatic Detective Agency with additional contributions from Mark Borckardt.
1. MS61 NGC. The Rarities Sale (Bowers and Merena, 1/1999), lot 1401; later, purchased privately on January 20, 2012. The present specimen.
2. MS61 PCGS. The Lemus Collection of U.S. Gold Coins (Stack's, 6/2001), lot 391 as Brilliant Uncirculated; The Long Island Collection, Part II (Heritage, 2/2022), lot 3174.
3. AU58 PCGS. Long Beach Signature (Heritage, 6/2024), lot 3121.
4. XF45 uncertified. The A. Bernard Shore Collection Sale (Superior, 2/1988), lot 4117, unattributed and offered as "An ideal type coin;" The D.C.S.E. and F.D.I.C. Sale (Heritage, 3/1988), lot 994, unattributed and described as "very acceptable for type purposes."
5. XF uncertified. Jim LaSarre Collection. The Bass-Dannreuther plate coin.
A. AU55 PCGS. Recorded in the PCGS Population report; no other details are known.
B. AU55 NGC. Recorded in the NGC Census report; no other details are known.
C. VF uncertified. Guttag brothers; Waldo Newcomer; Colonel E.H.R. Green. Untraced and probably one of those listed above.
From The Harvey B. Jacobson, Jr. Collection of Early Half Eagles.

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