LOT #3552 |
Current Bid: $8,500
1797 $2 1/2 BD-1, High R.5, AU55 NGC....
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Description
1797 BD-1 Quarter Eagle, AU55
Lowest Mintage Early Quarter Eagle
Eighth Finest Known of About 40
1797 $2 1/2 BD-1, High R.5, AU55 NGC. Bright greenish-gold
surfaces contain considerable light yellow luster, with a thin
horizontal line of citrus toning on the reverse. Insignificant
lines and abrasions are noted on the surfaces, with shallow scrapes
on the shield. The fields, especially on the reverse, are
reflective.While no date of early quarter eagles can be said to have a high mintage, the 1797 takes the cake for the lowest among these sparsely produced issues, at only 427 coins. They were made from February 28, 1797 to June 29, 1797 as part of Delivery Warrants 82, 83, and 93, which aside from five assay pieces recorded for December 30, comprised the entire quarter eagle production for the calendar year. This low production translates into a low surviving population today, making it one of the rarest dates of early quarter eagles. At the time Walter Breen's monograph Varieties of United States Quarter Eagles was published in 1964, this issue was rated R.7 with nine examples known. This population was increased to 20 survivors by the time his Complete Encyclopedia was published in 1988. Current estimates place the population in High R.5 territory, representing a survival rate of about 10% of the original mintage.
This production was accomplished from a single die marriage, BD-1. The present offering is an early die state example with no visible die defects except for the heavy die crack from the Y in LIBERTY to the border below star 13, which is present on all known examples. The reverse later went on to strike 1798 JR-1 dimes as part of the Mint's sharing of reverse dies between dimes and quarter eagles due to their similar diameter and lack of display of value. The current offering is the eighth known finest known example according to our census.
Roster of High-Grade 1797 Quarter Eagles
1. MS64 NGC. James A. Stack Collection (Stack's, 10/1994), lot 831, realized $93,500; Santa Clara Elite Coin Auction (Superior, 11/2005), lot 484, realized $276,000. This example is currently unrecorded on the NGC census.
2. MS61 PCGS. ANA Sale (RARCOA, 8/1970), lot 1424; Harry W. Bass, Jr. Collection / ANA Signature (Heritage, 8/2023), lot 9005.
3. MS60 NGC. Richard Genaitis Collection / ANA Signature (Heritage, 8/2001), lot 7583. This example is also currently unrecorded on the NGC census.
4. AU58. National Numismatic Collection; Smithsonian Institution. Sylloge 39.
5. AU58 PCGS. W.H. Spedding Collection (S.H. and H. Chapman, 12/1894), lot 220, realized $51; John H. Clapp; Louis E. Eliasberg, Sr. (Bowers and Ruddy, 10/1982), lot 81, realized $12,100; Auction '89 (David Akers, 7/1989), lot 1357; Father Flanagan's Boys Home Sale (Superior, 5/1990), lot 5419; The May Sale (Stack's, 5/2006), lot 2206; ANA Auction (Stack's Bowers, 8/2021), lot 4166.
6. AU58 PCGS. Joseph J. Mickley; William Sumner Appleton; W. Elliot Woodward; Harold P. Newlin (privately, 10/31/1884); Garrett Collection; Johns Hopkins University (Bowers and Ruddy, 3/1980), lot 734; The Kennywood Collection (American Numismatic Rarities, 1/2005), lot 847; D. Brent Pogue Collection (Stack's Bowers & Sotheby's, 5/2015), lot 1118.
7. AU58 NGC. Shapero Collection (Stack's, 10/1971), lot 731; Pre-Long Beach Coin Auction (Superior, 2/2003), lot 2445.
8. AU55 NGC. J.F. Bell Collection (Stack's, 12/1944), lot 81; Lee Sale (Stack's, 10/1947), lot 986; 49th Catalog (New Netherlands, 6/1957), lot 565; Fairfield Collection (Bowers and Ruddy, 10/1977), lot 1437; Pre-Long Beach Elite Coin Auction (Superior, 9/2003), lot 2833; The Ed Price Collection / ANA Signature (Heritage, 7/2008), lot 1453. The 1957 New Netherlands catalog identifies that coin as "Ex 'Lee' sale, lot 986" although the plates do not appear to match. The present example.
From The Texas Republic Ranch Collection.
Coin Index Numbers: (NGC ID# BFVR, Variety PCGS# 45503, Base PCGS# 7648)
Weight: 4.37 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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Auction Info
2025 November 13 - 14 US Coins Signature® Auction #1387 (go to Auction Home page)
Proxy Bidding Ends
November
13th
Thursday
5:50 pm CT
Auction Dates
November
13th-14th
Thursday-Friday
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10h 49m 3s
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This lot is in: 2 -
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(Lots 3464-3713) - 6:00 PM Central Time, Thursday, November 13, 2025.
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Additional Location Info:
Heritage Auctions
2801 W. Airport Freeway
Dallas, TX 75261
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