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Description

Fully Struck 1801 Eagle, BD-2, MS64
A Remarkable Early Type Coin

1801 $10 MS64 NGC. CAC. Breen-6843, Taraszka-25, BD-2, R.2. Bass-Dannreuther Die State Obverse a / Reverse a. The 1801 eagles were produced to the extent of a recorded 44,344 coins, besting the total reported for 1799 at 37,449 pieces. Clearly, the Mint was getting better at producing coinage dies that would last for many thousands (or even tens of thousands, in some cases) of impressions. The Mint nonetheless would press any serviceable coinage die into use, regardless of date, design type, or die cracks, if the need arose and the dies were still usable. Thus it is that, despite the recorded mintage of only 5,999 eagles in 1800, it is likely that some of the eagles produced in 1801 bore that date, and certainly conceivable that some were dated 1799, as well.
Only two die pairings are known for the 1801 eagles, BD-1 and BD-2. The BD-1 obverse shows a different star style from the BD-2, and stars 8 and 13 are distant from the cap and bust, respectively. The stars on the BD-2 are thinner with longer spines, and stars 8 and 13 touch, or nearly so, the cap and bust. The BD-2, the present variety, is far more available than the R.5 BD-1; Bass-Dannreuther estimate that 30,000 to 40,000 of the total mintage was of this variety, with 600 to 800 surviving today.
The surfaces on the present near-Gem are bright yellow-gold accented with tinges of olive. The strike is full throughout both sides, with semiprooflike reflectivity apparent in the fields. There are no planchet adjustment marks, and the only mentionable contact is a single scrape through UNI. This is a remarkably nice candidate for a type set, a coin that will not come cheap but is relatively more affordable than most of its early 19th century fellows. Census: 27 in 64, 2 finer (11/11).(Registry values: P1)

Coin Index Numbers: (NGC ID# 2627, PCGS# 8564, Greysheet# 9348)

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.

View Certification Details from NGC

Auction Info

Auction Dates
January, 2012
4th-8th Wednesday-Sunday
Bids + Registered Phone Bidders: 5
Lot Tracking Activity: N/A
Page Views: 964

Buyer's Premium per Lot:
15% of the successful bid per lot.

Sold on Jan 5, 2012 for: $106,375.00
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