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

Lot Number: 1031

Shortcut to Lot: HA.com/1389*1031

1805 $5 BD-5, R.7, AU58 PCGS. CAC. HBJ-231. Ex: HW Bass, Jr. Coll. The reflective obverse displays lovely honey-gold luster with splashes of rich orange on the high points. The reverse is frosty with weak central devices that are typical of the few known examples. The 1805 BD-5 half eagle is the second rarest variety following BD-4.
Variety Equivalents: Adams-5, Breen 1-A, Miller-68, Bass-3094.
Obverse Die: This is the only use of the obverse die.
Reverse Die: The reverse die was used for four of the five 1805 die pairs, BD-2, BD-3, BD-4, and BD-5, remaining in use for 1806 BD-1.
Bass-Dannreuther Die State b/e: The obverse is cracked through the outer points of all stars on the left into the field over the cap with a crack through the tops of LIBERTY and the outer points of the right-hand stars. The reverse has a rim break connecting several dentils over the final S in STATES.
PCGS Population Data (10/25): For all 1805 varieties, PCGS has examined 42 1805 half eagles graded AU58 and 162 finer examples.
CAC Census (10/25): For all varieties, CAC has approved 17 1805 half eagles in AU58 and 58 finer examples.
Significant Examples: With a total population of just three coins, per our research, this lot closes out the list.
Breen (1966): Breen's description of the variety he calls 1-A begins noting that the lower left star nearly touches the curl. BD-5 is the only variety known today that qualifies.
Bass-Dannreuther (2006): "Bass owned two examples of this exceedingly rare variety. It is debatable whether this or the previous variety (BD-4) is the rarer issue, but whether a coin has three, four, or five known survivors, having multiple examples is unusual."
Heritage Commentary: Our rosters of 1805 BD-4 and BD-5 half eagles record eight individual examples of the two die marriages, and the present auction of Harvey Jacobson's half eagles includes five of those eight coins. While a few additional examples may be awaiting discovery, it is doubtful that the two varieties combined will break the R.7 barrier.
Doug Winter Commentary: Here is evidence that this is a truly meaningful specialized collection. There are not one but two nice examples of the very rare 1805 BD-5. This likely represents one-quarter of the total known examples and while it's not as impressive as, say, the presence of multiple 1797 half eagles, it's a worthy feat nonetheless.
Provenance: Recorded below.

Roster of Significant Examples
1. MS62 PCGS. Purchased from A-Mark Coin Co. (3/16/1978); Harry W. Bass, Jr. Core Collection (Heritage, 9/2022), lot 11041.
2. MS62 NGC. Gilhousen Collection (Superior, 2/1973), lot 340; Stack's (3/2004), lot 776; Heritage Internet (11/2004), lot 24032; Heritage Internet (12/2004), lot 23463; Goldberg Auctions (9/2006), lot 1920. Offered in the next lot.
3. AU58 PCGS. CAC. John A. Beck (Abner Kreisberg, 1/1975), lot 355; Harry W. Bass, Jr. (Bowers and Merena, 10/1999), lot 763; Stack's Bowers (8/2022), lot 7153. The present specimen.
From The Harvey B. Jacobson, Jr. Collection of Early Half Eagles.

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