Heritage World Coin Auctions
FUN Signature US Coin Sale 1251 4-6 & 8-9 Jan 2017
View prices realized
► Sale information
Find similar lots
Early Half Eagles
1803/2 $5 BD-2, R.5, MS64+ PCGS. Bass-Dannreuther Die State d/c. A nominal mintage of 33,506 Capped Bust Right half eagles was accomplished in 1803, with four die varieties known for the date. All four varieties are overdates, struck from two leftover obverse dies from 1802. The coin offered here represents the BD-2 variety, with the 3 in the date just barely free of the bust, an imperfect T in LIBERTY, and the star away from the beak and touching the ribbon with two points on the reverse. The BD-2 is the scarcest variety of the date, with a surviving population of 40-50 examples in all grades. The emission sequence for the 1802, 1803, and 1804 half eagles is very complicated, due to several possible remarriages of different die pairs during these years. This obverse die was used to strike three of the four die varieties of this date, but this was the only use of the reverse.
The present coin is a Plus-graded Choice example with sharply detailed design elements in most areas. There is just a touch of softness on the bust, however, probably due to some faint planchet adjustment marks in that area which were not completely eliminated during striking. The clouds on the reverse show the famous "bitten" effect under both T's and the E in STATES, and under F in OF, caused by those letters being too deeply impressed into the die and removing the detail from the uppermost layer of the clouds. From a late state of the dies, the reverse shows a bisecting die crack from the rim above E in STATES to the rim below U in UNITED. The pleasing orange-gold surfaces radiate vibrant mint luster and only a few minor contact marks are evident on both sides. This coin possesses exceptional visual appeal to match its high technical quality. Population: 12 in 64, 1 in 64+, 3 finer (10/16).
1803/2 $5 BD-2, R.5, MS64+ PCGS. Bass-Dannreuther Die State d/c. A nominal mintage of 33,506 Capped Bust Right half eagles was accomplished in 1803, with four die varieties known for the date. All four varieties are overdates, struck from two leftover obverse dies from 1802. The coin offered here represents the BD-2 variety, with the 3 in the date just barely free of the bust, an imperfect T in LIBERTY, and the star away from the beak and touching the ribbon with two points on the reverse. The BD-2 is the scarcest variety of the date, with a surviving population of 40-50 examples in all grades. The emission sequence for the 1802, 1803, and 1804 half eagles is very complicated, due to several possible remarriages of different die pairs during these years. This obverse die was used to strike three of the four die varieties of this date, but this was the only use of the reverse.
The present coin is a Plus-graded Choice example with sharply detailed design elements in most areas. There is just a touch of softness on the bust, however, probably due to some faint planchet adjustment marks in that area which were not completely eliminated during striking. The clouds on the reverse show the famous "bitten" effect under both T's and the E in STATES, and under F in OF, caused by those letters being too deeply impressed into the die and removing the detail from the uppermost layer of the clouds. From a late state of the dies, the reverse shows a bisecting die crack from the rim above E in STATES to the rim below U in UNITED. The pleasing orange-gold surfaces radiate vibrant mint luster and only a few minor contact marks are evident on both sides. This coin possesses exceptional visual appeal to match its high technical quality. Population: 12 in 64, 1 in 64+, 3 finer (10/16).