1799 $5 Small Reverse Stars, BD-1, High R.5, MS63 NGC....

Description

1799 Draped Bust Half Eagle, MS63
Small Reverse Stars, Rare BD-1

1799 $5 Small Reverse Stars, BD-1, High R.5, MS63 NGC. Bass-Dannreuther Die State d/e. The obverse die is lapped in this die state, and the reverse die is also in a late die state with numerous die cracks and heavy clashing. There is a reverse die crack extending from the left (facing) wing through the letter T in UNITED, and to a dentil at the edge. Although this die crack is not described in the Bass-Dannreuther reference, the BD-1 plate coin does display this crack, slightly less advanced as compared to this example. Additional die cracks from the eagle's head as described in the Bass-Dannreuther reference. The clashing includes the numerals 9 and 8 under the letters T and E in STATES, which occurred during the first usage of the reverse die in 1798! All of these fascinating late die state features make for interesting study of this superb 1799 BD-1 half eagle. Key identifiers for attribution include a large spike at star 9 on the obverse, and a nearly perfect cross pattern of small stars on the reverse side.

Only four denominations were struck at the Mint in 1799 including cents, half eagles, eagles, and a relatively large mintage of dollars. The Guide Book reported 1799 mintage of 7,451 Draped Bust five dollar gold coins was accomplished using nine die marriages, with each of the varieties using a different reverse working die. However, John Dannreuther estimates more than 10,000 half eagles were struck that were dated 1799, with the possibility that some of these 1799 dated coins were struck in 1800, 1801, or even 1802! All of the nine die pairings for 1799 are rare to extremely rare, including the high R.5 BD-1.

The iconic Draped Bust Heraldic Eagle design engraved by Robert Scot is beautifully represented with this half eagle specimen. Attractive yellow gold with tangerine highlights gives lovely eye appeal. The strike is mostly sharp, with just a little softness at the centers, but other design elements including drapery lines, hair curls, and eagle feathers are well defined. Satiny luster covers surfaces that have just small, scattered contacts marks, with none of them being distracting. An outstanding example of the 1799 Small Reverse Stars half eagle that is within condition census for the BD-1 variety.
From The Costa Family Collection, Part I.

Coin Index Numbers: (NGC ID# 25NT, Variety PCGS# 519873, Base PCGS# 8081, Greysheet# 198182)

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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