Heritage World Coin Auctions
ANA Signature US Coin Sale 1258 2-6 Aug 2017
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Early Half Eagles
1795 $5 Small Eagle, BD-8, High R.5, AU50 PCGS Secure. Bass-Dannreuther Die State a/a. Half eagles were struck for the first time in 1795, when a small mintage of 8,707 examples was produced. The coins featured the Capped Bust Right obverse and the Small Eagle reverse, and 12 die varieties are known for the date and type ( three more 1795-dated varieties are known with the Heraldic Eagle reverse, but those coins were probably struck later, around 1798). This coin represents the BD-8 variety, with star 10 pointing to the cap and three berries in the wreath, the left berry placed outside and high. The hardy obverse die was used again to strike the BD-9 and BD-10 varieties of this date, then put in storage for a few years and brought out of retirement to strike the extremely rare BD-13 variety with a Heraldic Eagle reverse. The reverse die was also used later in striking the very rare 1798 Small Eagle BD-1 variety. The 1795 BD-8 is a very scarce variety in absolute terms, although it is seen more often than some others of this date. Probably no more than 30-40 examples survive in all grades today.
The present coin is an attractive AU50 specimen, with some light wear on the well-detailed design elements and a few faint planchet adjustment marks on the eagle. The pleasing orange-gold surfaces are lightly abraded and retain traces of original mint luster in sheltered areas. A few almost imperceptible rim bruises are present, but they do little to detract from the overall presentation.
HID02901242017
1795 $5 Small Eagle, BD-8, High R.5, AU50 PCGS Secure. Bass-Dannreuther Die State a/a. Half eagles were struck for the first time in 1795, when a small mintage of 8,707 examples was produced. The coins featured the Capped Bust Right obverse and the Small Eagle reverse, and 12 die varieties are known for the date and type ( three more 1795-dated varieties are known with the Heraldic Eagle reverse, but those coins were probably struck later, around 1798). This coin represents the BD-8 variety, with star 10 pointing to the cap and three berries in the wreath, the left berry placed outside and high. The hardy obverse die was used again to strike the BD-9 and BD-10 varieties of this date, then put in storage for a few years and brought out of retirement to strike the extremely rare BD-13 variety with a Heraldic Eagle reverse. The reverse die was also used later in striking the very rare 1798 Small Eagle BD-1 variety. The 1795 BD-8 is a very scarce variety in absolute terms, although it is seen more often than some others of this date. Probably no more than 30-40 examples survive in all grades today.
The present coin is an attractive AU50 specimen, with some light wear on the well-detailed design elements and a few faint planchet adjustment marks on the eagle. The pleasing orange-gold surfaces are lightly abraded and retain traces of original mint luster in sheltered areas. A few almost imperceptible rim bruises are present, but they do little to detract from the overall presentation.
HID02901242017