LOT #1043 |
Current Bid: $550
1810 $5 Small Date, Small 5, BD-2, R.6, AU50 NGC....
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Description
1810 BD-2 Half Eagle, AU50
Small Date, Small 5
1810 $5 Small Date, Small 5, BD-2, R.6, AU50 NGC.
HBJ-243. Light wear is noted on the high points of this
vibrant green-gold half eagle. Scattered surface marks are
consistent with the assigned grade.Variety Equivalents: Adams-2, Breen 2-B, Miller-111, Bass-3119.
Obverse Die: This is the only use of the obverse die.
Reverse Die: The reverse is shared between 1810 BD-2 and BD-3.
Bass-Dannreuther Die State b/b: The obverse is cracked from the border between the 1 and 8, curving up through the bust to the border over star 8. Dannreuther calls this a "fatal crack." The reverse has faint die cracks.
NGC Census Data (10/25): The NGC Census reports just 12 examples of this type, with only three graded AU50 and one finer example called MS62.
Significant Examples: This example is the ninth finest of 14 examples recorded in our roster, below. There may or may not be a few others awaiting discovery.
Breen (1966): Rated High R.7 in 1966, Breen provided extended commentary about this variety, writing: "The piece is not likely to drop below the level of high R-7 for a long time to come, as I have been hunting examples of this rarity for twelve years. I first learned that it was a rarity when I found no auction records aside from Earle's, in indexing American auctions for ANS back in 1951. That neither Clapp nor Boyd owned one was confirmation."
Bass-Dannreuther (2006): "There is no doubt as to why the obverse of this combination failed. The cracking was extensive and must have happened early in the production. An example of the late, fatal state of the obverse can be found in the Auction '82 sale as Lot 1927."
Heritage Commentary: At one time, the 1810 Small Date, Small 5 half eagle was considered the rarity of the series. New Netherlands Coin Co., in their December 1960 sale of the Cicero Collection (coin number 12 in our roster), wrote: "Besides this specimen, we know only one other (see below). Therefore, three times as rare as the 1798 small eagle, and one of the most fabulous gold coins we have handled!" The other coin known to them was the George Earle coin that Henry Chapman sold in 1912 that they stated reappeared in B. Max Mehl's 1949 sale of Dr. Charles W. Green's collection. However, there is no available evidence today to support that claim. New Netherlands further noted that this variety was "Not in Eliasberg," a statement at the time similar to today's "Not in Bass" observation.
Doug Winter Commentary: Housed in a much older holder and seemingly better than the current grade. This is an important naked-eye type which is a solid R-6 with an estimated 25-35 known. This specific coin likely qualifies in the tail end of the Condition Census for the variety.
Provenance: Recorded below.
Roster of 1810 Small Date, Small 5, BD-2 Half Eagles
1. MS63 PCGS. No other information is available.
2. MS62 PCGS. David McCarthy, April 2004; Larry Hanks, December 2004; D. Brent Pogue Collection (Stack's Bowers, 2/2016), lot 3138, realized $99,875; McCoy Family Collection (Heritage, 8/2020), lot 3984.
3 MS62 NGC. Husky Collection (Stack's, 6/2008), lot 2077, realized $138,000; FUN Signature (Heritage, 1/2012), lot 4861, realized $132,250.
4. AU58 PCGS, CAC. FUN Signature (Heritage, 1/2012), lot 4665, realized $109,250; Harvey B. Jacobson, Jr. Collection.
5. AU58 NGC. Possibly Grant Pierce Collection (Stack's, 5/1965), lot 1303; R.L. Miles Collection (Stack's, 10/1968), lot 347; Mike Brownlee; Purchased by Harry W. Bass, Jr. on August 2, 1994; Bass Collection, Part II (Bowers and Merena, 10/1999), lot 795; Long Beach Signature (Heritage, 2/2002), lot 6777; FUN Signature (Heritage, 1/2004), lot 2175; San Francisco Signature (Heritage, 7/2005), lot 10345.
6. AU58 NGC. 70th Anniversary Sale (Stack's, 10/2005), lot 1229.
7. AU55+ PCGS, CAC. Charles Gozan; Auction '80 (Paramount, 8/1980), lot 923, as part of a complete four-piece set of 1810 half eagle die varieties; Harry W. Bass, Jr. Core Collection (Heritage, 1/2023), lot 9037.
8. AU55 PCGS. Possibly J. Colvin Randall; Randall Collection, Part I (W. Elliot Woodward, 6/1885), lot 914; George Earle Collection (Henry Chapman, 6/1912), lot 2374; William H. Woodin, exhibited at the 1914 ANS Exhibition; Waldo Newcomer; "Colonel" E.H.R. Green, circa 1932, via B. Max Mehl; King Farouk, via Stack's, circa 1943; Palace Collections of Egypt (Sotheby's, 2/1954), lot 232; Auction '88 (David Akers, 7/1988), lot 900; Diocese of Buffalo (Heritage, 6/1997), lot 6399; J.A. Sherman Collection (Stack's, 8/2007), lot 3215.
9. AU50 NGC. Possibly purchased by James A. Stack in the 1940s; James A. Stack Collection (Stack's, 3/1995), lot 465; Hutchinson Collection (Heritage, 1/2017), lot 5865; York Collection (Stack's Bowers, 8/2018), lot 1266.
10. AU50 NGC. Discovered in the Midwest, circa 1993; Harold Rothenberger Collection (Superior, 1/1994), lot 2408; Dr. Jon Kardatzke Collection, Part II (Ira and Larry Goldberg, 6/2000), lot 1303; later, Harvey B. Jacobson Collection, purchased privately on April 4, 2022. The present specimen.
11. AU Details NGC. Possibly Dr. Charles W. Green Collection (B. Max Mehl, 4/1949), lot 248; Philip G. Straus Collection (Stack's, 5/1959), lot 2406, with letters MIC in the field; Cicero Collection (New Netherlands, 12/1960), lot 110, letters removed; exhibited at RARCOA's table at the 1963 FUN Convention, per Walter Breen; 10th Anniversary Auction (Kreisberg/Schulman, 4/1967), lot 761; Auction '81 (Paramount, 7/1981), lot 1426; R.E. Naftzger FPL (Paramount, 1981), Auction '82 (Paramount, 7/1982), lot 1927; Charles Kramer Collection (Stack's/Superior, 11/1988), lot 310; Diocese of Buffalo (Heritage, 6/1997), lot 5326; Pre-Long Beach Sale (Superior, 2/2000), lot 1082, misattributed as Large Date, Small 5; Central States Signature (Heritage, 4/2017), lot 4243.
12. AU Details NGC. Diocese of Buffalo Collection (Heritage, 7/1997), lot 5200; New York Connoisseur's Collection (American Numismatic Rarities, 3/2006), lot 1584; FUN Signature (Heritage, 1/2014), lot 5421.
13. AU Details, PCGS Genuine. Central States Signature (Heritage, 4/2015), lot 6172; Baltimore Auction (Stack's Bowers, 11/2015), lot 20110.
14. XF Details PCGS. Central States Signature (Heritage, 5/2023), lot 3229.
Additional Appearances
A. "Proof." Phineas Adams; Harold P. Newlin; 69th Sale (John W. Haseltine, 6/1883), lot 345.
B. Dr. Charles W. Green (B. Max Mehl, 4/1949), lot 248. Graded Fine to Very Fine.
C. A specimen in the possession of the Pressman brothers of Cleveland, Ohio, reported by Walter Breen.
From The Harvey B. Jacobson, Jr. Collection of Early Half Eagles.
Coin Index Numbers: (Variety PCGS# 507595, Base PCGS# 8105, Greysheet# 374043)
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
42m 38s
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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.]
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Additional Location Info:
Orange County Convention Center
North/South Building
9400 Universal Blvd.
Orlando, FL 32819
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