1796/5 $5 BD-1, High R.4, AU53 PCGS....

Description

1796/5 Small Eagle Five Dollar, AU53
Very Scarce Overdate Issue, BD-1

1796/5 $5 BD-1, High R.4, AU53 PCGS. Bass-Dannreuther Die State a/b. The reverse die was previously used on BD-12, which was the final die marriage of 1795, and was then lapped for additional usage in 1796. For the obverse, the working die was an evidently unused 1795-dated die, repunched with 6 over the 5. The 1796/5 overdate can be clearly seen. This was the only die combination used for half eagles in 1796. The Draped Bust, Small Eagle five dollar gold was designed and engraved by Chief Engraver Robert Scot in July of 1795, and it has the distinction of being the first United States Mint coinage design to have an elegant drapery, which eventually was used as a design feature on all gold, silver, and copper Draped Bust coins, encompassing all ten denominations as specified in the Coinage Act of 1792.

Medium yellow-gold with apricot overtones blanket this attractive early half eagle. Small contact marks and some thin hairlines are present from the coin's brief excursion into commerce. Faint mint-made adjustment marks can be seen on the obverse. Luster fills the sheltered areas of this specimen including the fields adjacent to the stars, date, and lettering, along with the recesses of the hair curls and eagle feathers. The strike is good, with just a bit of central softness on both sides that is typical of this variety, but most design elements have clear definition. John Dannreuther estimates only 80 to 100 examples survive for the 1796/5 half eagle, and this is an excellent representative of this very scarce and desirable early gold issue.
From The Costa Family Collection, Part II.

Coin Index Numbers: (NGC ID# BFWU, Variety PCGS# 519862, Base PCGS# 8067)

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 all of [The Costa Family Collection, Part II ]

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