1797 $10 Large Eagle, BD-2, High R.4, MS63 PCGS. CAC....

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1797 Large Eagle Ten, BD-2, MS63
Among the Finest Certified at PCGS

1797 $10 Large Eagle, BD-2, High R.4, MS63 PCGS. CAC. Bass-Dannreuther Die State b/b, as usual. Along with BD-4, BD-2 is one of the two more plentiful 1797 Large Eagle ten varieties known, but its availability is only in relation to the BD-3 variety, which is rare. With only 80 to 100 examples believed extant, BD-2 is challenging in all grades, and rare in Mint State.

The same obverse die was employed for all three 1797 Large Eagle varieties, and is seen on BD-2 in its earliest state. The forked die crack through the second 7 in the date is present on all known examples, and possibly began occurring during the die making process rather than as a result of production stress. Moreover, this variety is the only 1797-dated issue that may have actually been struck in late 1797, after the introduction of the Large Eagle motif. John Dannreuther writes in Early U.S. Gold Coin Varieties:

"Anthony Taraszka thinks that all examples of the other two 1797 varieties were struck after both varieties of 1798/7 and the author concurs with that assessment. BD-3 ... has a later state of the reverse used for both 1798/7 issues, while BD-4 ... has a later state of this common obverse than does BD-3 ... If BD-3 coins were struck after the 1798/7 issues, logically then the BD-4 issues would also have to be struck after them. Thus, we have to think that most or all of the next two 1797 varieties were struck in 1798, a common practice at the early Mint."

The certified population reports for the 1797 Large Eagle ten do not reliably differentiate between varieties, although to do so would be almost inconsequential at the MS63 grade level with so few coins known overall. All varieties included, PCGS has seen just three submissions in this grade (one in MS63+), with none numerically finer; NGC also shows three coins in this grade, with a single MS64 coin numerically finer (2/15).

This Select Mint State example shows softly frosted, green-gold luster, with minimal abrasions in the fields and on the high points of the design. The central hair curls on the obverse portrait are a touch soft, but the corresponding portion of the reverse is bold and the borders are well-defined on both sides. Housed in a green label holder.
From The New Orleans Collection.

Coin Index Numbers: (NGC ID# 25ZY, Variety PCGS# 45717, Base PCGS# 8559, Greysheet# 198071)

Weight: 17.50 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.

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