LOT #1010 |
Current Bid: $9,000
1797/5 $5 Large Eagle, 15 Stars, BD-7, High R.6, MS61 NGC....
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Description
1797/5 BD-7 Half Eagle, MS61
15 Stars Obverse, 16 Stars Reverse
Elusive Large Eagle Variety
Tied for Second Finest Certified
1797/5 $5 Large Eagle, 15 Stars, BD-7, High R.6, MS61 NGC.
HBJ-210. Ex: Hilt Collection. The present coin shows sharp
central detail and beautifully reflective, semiprooflike fields.
Rich honey-gold patina yields overtones of deeper orange and
coppery hues, and the surfaces are devoid of any significant
abrasions -- only some light field chatter limits the grade.
Several small, struck-through lint marks are noted in the left
obverse field, and the remnant of a mint-made, vertical adjustment
mark is detected in Liberty's hair curls.Variety Equivalents: Adams-5, Breen 13-Y, Hilt 10-N, Miller-22, 23. Bass-3052.
Obverse Die: The obverse die, seen here in its only use, features one of the boldest overdates of this type, with the lower curve of an underlying 5 plainly evident to the left of the upright of the primary 7. Characteristic of dies prepared before June 1796 when Tennessee was admitted into the Union as the 16th state, this obverse has 15 stars with 10 left and five right.
Reverse Die: The reverse has a constellation of 16 stars above the eagle on each of the 1795- and 1797-dated varieties. This reverse die was initially used for the unique and non-collectible 1797 BD-6 that is held in the Smithsonian Institution collection.
Bass-Dannreuther Die State b/d: The reverse die cracks are progressed beyond what is described in the Bass-Dannreuther reference for this late die state. The crack from the rim above the second T in STATES curves through the ribbon between the US in PLURIBUS and connects to the earlier crack that extends from the rim between S O, through the wing, to the M in AMERICA. Another crack connects to the crack near the M and extends through the olive leaves to the I in AMERICA. An additional break runs from the rim below the eagle's tailfeathers, up through the center of the shield, and connects to the earlier crack that curves through the upper edge of the shield.
NGC Census Data (10/25): This is the only Mint State 1797/5 Heraldic Eagle five dollar piece recorded in the NGC Census.
Significant Examples: The Jacobson coin is recorded as the third finest in our roster of the 12 best examples known to us.
Breen (1966): Breen cataloged two different varieties of 1797/5 overdate half eagles as his 13-Y and 14-Z. He cited a single example of 14-Z from the Earle, Clapp, and Eliasberg collections. After describing the obverse and reverse dies, Breen noted that obverse 14 is "very similar" to obverse 13 and that reverse Z is "very similar" to reverse Y. Today, we consider that the BD-7 is the only 1797/5 Heraldic Eagle variety.
Bass-Dannreuther (2006): "This is the only collectible 1797 Large Eagle variety, as the other two varieties (BD-5 and BD-6) are currently unique and preserved in the Smithsonian. This [sic] obvious overdate status of this coin makes it easy to identify."
Heritage Commentary: The BD-7 variety is an important rarity with just 12 to 15 examples thought to survive in all grades. The sheer rarity of this variety is compounded by it being the only obtainable Heraldic Eagle variety of the 1797 issue. This variety is slightly rarer than the BD-1 Small Eagle variety and appears at auction much less often. As one of the finest known, this remarkable piece is of indescribable importance for the prestige of a high-end early half eagle variety collection. The specialist will want to bid accordingly.
Who was Robert P. Hilt, II, author of Die Varieties of Early United States Coins? The Newman Numismatic Portal contribution of Pete Smith states that the Lincoln, Nebraska resident was born in 1940 and died in 1995. Newspaper accounts state that his death was from injuries when his private plane crashed. Although his name appeared several times in The Numismatist, there is no record of his ANA membership. He registered for mid-western conventions during the mid-1950s that raised the question of his age. However, a report of youth activities at the 1955 ANA Convention included his name. Hilt was a combat medic who served with valor in Vietnam.
Doug Winter Commentary: As succinctly stated above by Mark Borckardt this is a high-end example of a truly rare issue. In my opinion, the actual overdate epitomizes the scarcity of coinage material in the early days of the Mint with both digits (the 7 and the underlying 5) competing for the viewer's attention.
Provenance: Recorded in the following roster.
A Roster of Significant Examples provided by Ron Guth of the Numismatic Detective Agency with additional contributions from Mark Borckardt.
1. MS62+ PCGS. J.F. Bell (Jacob Shapiro) Collection (Stack's, 12/1944), lot 312; Amon G. Carter, Jr. Family Collection (Stack's, 1/1984), lot 640, $12,100; Auction '88 (David Akers, 7/1988), lot 890; D. Brent Pogue Collection, Part II (Stack's Bowers & Sotheby's, 9/2015), lot 2076, $223,250.
2. MS61 PCGS. James A. Stack, Sr. Collection (Stack's, 10/1994), lot 1036, $71,500; Pittsburgh Elite (Superior, 8/2004), lot 978, $149,500; Long Beach Signature (Heritage, 6/2019), lot 3210, $192,000.
3. MS61 NGC. Liberty USA Collection/FUN Signature (Heritage, 1/2015), lot 4282. The present specimen. This example is from the collection of Robert P. Hilt, II and may be found among the additional appearances that we record below.
4. MS61 PCGS. Dr. James A. Ferrendelli Collection (Stack's Bowers, 8/2014), lot 11062, not sold; Baltimore Rarities Night (Stack's Bowers, 2/2019), lot 1141, $180,000. Compare to the Belden Roach coin (B. Max Mehl, 2/1944), lot 507 that seems to have the same lint mark in the left obverse field. Another appearance with the same lint mark is the October Sale (Stack's, 10/1991), lot 938. Ron Guth, in his roster of top examples, reports a PCGS MS61 example with no previous provenance. The illustration at PCGS CoinFacts matches this example.
5. MS60 Uncertified (grade per Jeff Garrett). Col. E.H.R. Green; C.T. Weihman; Josiah K. Lilly, Jr.; Smithsonian Institution.
6. AU58 PCGS. Hutchinson Collection (Heritage, 1/2017), lot 5843, $211,500.
7. AU58 NGC. Fairfield Collection (Bowers and Ruddy, 10/1977), lot 1743; Coles Sale (Stack's, 10/1983), lot 62; Harry Einstein Sale (Bowers and Merena, 6/1986), lot 323; Kramer Sale (Stack's-Superior, 11/1988), lot 291; Gainsborough Sale (Superior, 2/1997), lot 2913; ANA Sale (Bowers and Merena, 8/2006), lot 4183, $119,600; (Stack's Bowers, 8/2020), lot 1258, not sold; Baltimore Rarities Night (Stack's Bowers, 11/2021), lot 4106, $120,000. Possibly Ex: Gable Collection (S.H. Chapman, 5/1914), lot 246; compare also to Gilhousen Collection (Superior, 2/1973), lot 330. The Gable and Gilhousen plates appear to show the same mark below the right side of the eagle's tail feathers.
8. AU58 NGC. R.L. Miles (Stack's, 10/1968), lot 324; Michael I. Keston (Superior, 1/1996), lot 80; Long Beach Connoisseur (Bowers and Merena, 8/1999), lot 371; Frog Run Farm Collection (American Numismatic Rarities, 11/2004), lot 1782, not sold; Gold Rush Collection (Heritage, 1/2005), lot 30438; Goldberg Auctions, (9/2005), lot 2408, $126,500; Ohringer Family Trust Holdings, Part II (Goldberg Auctions, 9/2008), lot 1249, $109,250; ANA Signature (Heritage, 8/2012), lot 5342, $129,250.
9. AU55 PCGS. George H. Earle, Jr. Collection (Henry Chapman, 6/1912); John H. Clapp Collection, sold intact via Stack's in 1942; Louis E. Eliasberg, Sr. Collection (Bowers and Ruddy, 10/1982), lot 332, $12,100; Harry W. Bass, Jr. Collection, Part II (Bowers and Merena, 10/1999), lot 718, $57,500; Springdale Collection (Superior, 5/2006), lot 1086, $120,750.
10. AU53 PCGS. F.C.C. Boyd; World's Greatest Collection (Numismatic Gallery, 1/1946), lot 320; Samuel W. Wolfson Collection (Stack's, 10/1962), lot 334, $3,000; Public Auction Sale (Lester Merkin, 3/1969), lot 173, $2,300; Harry W. Bass, Jr. Core Collection (Heritage 5/2023), lot 4537.
11. AU53 PCGS. Illustrated at PCGS CoinFacts.
12. AU50 PCGS. William Sumner Appleton; Joseph J. Mickley; W. Elliot Woodward (privately, 1/18/1883); Garrett Collection (Bowers and Ruddy, 11/1979), lot 439; Dr. Juan XII Suros Collection (Superior, 2/1999), lot 238.
Additional Appearances
Several other auction appearances are likely earlier appearances of the pieces listed above: Dunham Collection (B. Max Mehl, 6/1941), lot 2069; Roach Collection (B. Max Mehl, 2/1944), lot 507; Col. James W. Flanagan (Stack's, 3/1944), lot 1060; Atwater Collection (B. Max Mehl, 6/1946), lot 1609; H.R. Lee (Stack's, 10/1947), lot 1212; Memorable Collection (Numismatic Gallery, 3/1948), lot 287 [plated over lot 285]; Adolphe Menjou (Numismatic Gallery, 6/1950), lot 1426; King Farouk Collection (Sotheby's, 2/1954); Farish Baldenhofer (Stack's, 11/1955), lot 1198; Thomas Melish Collection (Numismatic Gallery 4/1956), lot 1839; FUN Convention (Federal Brand, 1/1963), lot 548; ANA Convention (Federal Brand, 8/1964); Shuford Collection (Abe Kosoff, 5/1968), lot 1926.
From The Harvey B. Jacobson, Jr. Collection of Early Half Eagles.
Coin Index Numbers: (Variety PCGS# 519872, Base PCGS# 8077)
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.
Auction Info
2026 January 8 US Coins Signature Auction - FUN Special Sessions: Ellsworth & Jacobson #1389 (go to Auction Home page)
Proxy Bidding Ends
January
8th
Thursday
3:50 pm CT
Auction Dates
January
8th
Thursday
Proxy Bidding Time Remaining
13 Days
12h 26m 52s
Bids + Registered Phone Bidders: 21
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Page Views: 274
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This lot is in: 1 -
Signature® Floor Session - Platinum Session - The Harvey B. Jacobson, Jr. Collection of Early Half Eagles (Live Floor, Live Phone, Mail, Fax, Internet, and Heritage Live):
(Lots 1001-1068) - 4:00 PM Central Time, Thursday, January 8, 2026 (5:00 PM Eastern Time).
[Proxy bidding ends ten minutes prior to the session start time. Live Proxy bidding on Heritage Live now starts within 2 hours of when the auction opens for proxy bidding and continues through the live session.]
Exhibition Viewing Times, Title Page, Floor Session and License Information
Additional Location Info:
Orange County Convention Center
North/South Building
9400 Universal Blvd.
Orlando, FL 32819
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