1814/3 $5 BD-1, High R.4, MS62 PCGS....

Description

1814/3 BD-1 Half Eagle, MS62
Important Mint State Survivor

1814/3 $5 BD-1, High R.4, MS62 PCGS. HBJ-249. Housed in a PCGS generation 3.1 green-label holder. Pale rose toning is splashed on the obverse of this fully lustrous light yellow-gold half eagle. Minuscule marks on both sides are inconsequential.
Variety Equivalents: Adams-1, Breen 1-A, Miller-121, Bass-3127.
Obverse Die: This overdated obverse die makes its only appearance for BD-1, the sole variety of the coinage date.
Reverse Die: The reverse die is a reuse of the die for 1813 BD-2 and was used also for the 1815 BD-1 half eagle rarity.
Bass-Dannreuther Die State b/c: A faint die crack begins at the right base of the second 1 in the date and extends through the base of the 4 and the field disappearing over the fifth dentil right of the 4. There are no obverse clash marks, nor signs of lapping. A delicate crack connects the tops of MERI and another crack passes through the base of the D in the denomination to the following period and the tops of CA. The tops of ST and TES in STATES are connected by faint cracks undescribed in the Bass-Dannreuther study. Heavy clash marks are visible in the vertical shield stripes.
PCGS Population Data (10/25): The population of this important issue includes 15 that PCGS grades MS62, two certified as MS62+, and 17 finer pieces.
Significant Examples: While several finer examples are known, the Jacobson Collection coin is likely among the 20 finest examples recorded in our notes.
Breen (1966): Rated borderline R.6 in his 1966 monograph, Breen observed: "Not impossibly at the upper border of R-5, and we may never know exactly. I can account for about twenty specimens in all, at least five or six of them being uncirculated, the rest mostly EF with a few VF's and a few AU's."
Bass-Dannreuther (2006): "The reverse used here is the second of [three] for this die; the final use is with the next variety, the famous and exceedingly rare 1815."
Heritage Commentary: John Dannreuther estimates that 80 to 100 examples of the 1814/3 half eagle survive. Such a population will garner little attention from early gold collectors if other varieties exist. However, that population is for the entire coinage-year, as no other 1814 half eagle varieties are known.
Doug Winter Commentary: The 1814/3 is a scarce issue with fewer than 100 known in total. It is not often seen finer than MS62.
Provenance: Stack's Bowers (11/2015), lot 20112.
From The Harvey B. Jacobson, Jr. Collection of Early Half Eagles.

Coin Index Numbers: (Variety PCGS# 519908, Base PCGS# 8117, Greysheet# 315464)

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.

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