1795 $5 Small Eagle, BD-4, R.5, AU58 NGC. CAC....

Description

1795 Small Eagle Five Dollar, AU58
BD-4, Original Surfaces, CAC Approval

1795 $5 Small Eagle, BD-4, R.5, AU58 NGC. CAC. Bass-Dannreuther die state c/a, with a crack from the edge to star 12 and the lowest curl still touching star 1 (no relapping). There were 12 die marriages used to produce the 1795 Small Eagle reverse half eagles, although it is debatable whether all of those pairings were actually produced in 1795. The Guide Book gives a mintage of 8,707 1795 Small Eagle five dollar gold pieces, the first federal issue of U.S. gold. A few more very rare 1795-dated gold pieces are known with the later Heraldic Eagle reverse, likely struck in 1798.

The BD-4 ranks among the more frequently seen die pairings, though it remains rare by any measure, and the present AU58 piece is conditionally rarer still. The tip of the 5 in the date barely lies over the lower bust, and star 11 (of the interesting 15 Stars obverse) rests both on the ending Y in LIBERTY and star 12. The die crack, noted above, indicates the previous use with the BD-3. On the reverse, the small wreath ends are beneath the O in OF, and there are three berries, two outside, one inside, with the outside left berry low. This is the only use of this reverse, and no die cracks or other evidence of prolonged die use are apparent.

Most of the original luster is still apparent on this nearly Uncirculated coin. Eye-appealing antique-gold surfaces exhibit deeper tinges of reddish color nearer the borders and around the device edges. A few minor contact marks are confined largely to the fields on each side, and the strike is a touch incomplete in the centers of each side, as well as slightly axially misaligned so that some of the dentilation is weak, some quite strong. A few light planchet adjustment marks appear near the obverse rim, above stars 4-7. All told, this is an extremely appealing early gold first-year type coin.
Ex: Chicago Signature (Heritage, 8/2011), lot 7497; FUN Signature (Heritage, 1/2022), lot 4693, realized $96,000.

Coin Index Numbers: (NGC ID# 25ND, Variety PCGS# 519853, Base PCGS# 8066, Greysheet# 198166)

Weight: 8.75 grams

Metal: 91.67% Gold, 8.33% Copper

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.

View Certification Details from NGC