1798 $2 1/2 Wide Date, Five Berries, BD-2, R.5, MS60 PCGS....

Description

1798 BD-2 Quarter Eagle, MS60
Wide Date, Five Berries
Dual-Denomination Reverse

1798 $2 1/2 Wide Date, Five Berries, BD-2, R.5, MS60 PCGS. Ex: Harry W. Bass, Jr. Collection. Bass-Dannreuther Die State a, having no evidence of the obverse die crack that appears through star 1 in the later Die State b. Two obverse dies and two reverse dies were prepared for the 1798 quarter eagle coinage. The rarer die pair combines a Close Date obverse with a Four Berries reverse, and this slightly more available variety features a Wide Date obverse and a Five Berries reverse. Neither variety is common, especially in Mint State grades. In fact, PCGS has certified one of the former and nine of the latter in grades from MS60 to MS65, and a combined total of just 30 submissions across all grades from a low of VF20 (11/22). When Walter Breen wrote his early gold monographs in the 1960s, he believed that this 1798 Wide Date variety was extremely rare, but changed his mind two decades later when his Complete Encyclopedia was published. Possibly as many as 80 examples of this variety survive, compared to two dozen of the 1798 Close Date quarter eagles.

The reverse die was used to produced 1798 JR-4 and 1800 JR-1 dimes in addition to these quarter eagles. The dual denomination usage was possible as the two denominations were nearly the same diameter, 19 mm. for dimes and 20 mm. for quarter eagles.

This rich green-gold example exhibits reflective fields that frame the softly lustrous devices. Scattered marks on each side prevent a higher grade despite exceptional eye appeal at this numerical level. Most of the peripheral design elements are nicely defined while central strike weakness is evident on the obverse. PCGS Wide Date Population: 2 in 60, 7 finer (11/22).
Ex: Stack's (2/1974), lot 496; Stack's (11/1974), lot 490; Stack's (privately, 12/1974).
From The Harry W. Bass, Jr. Core Collection, Part II.

Coin Index Numbers: (NGC ID# 25F5, Variety PCGS# 45505, Base PCGS# 7649)

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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