1813 $5 MS(PCGS#8116)

The Summer 2022 Global Showcase Auction U.S. Coins

拍卖行

Stack's Bowers

批号

7157

等级

AU58

价格

182,020

详细说明

Lustrous and Original Near-Mint 1813 Half Eagle 1813 Capped Head Left Half Eagle. BD-1. Rarity-2. AU-58 (PCGS). CAC. OGH--First Generation. Easily among the most desirable examples of both the type and issue that we have ever had the privilege of bringing to auction. The surfaces are near-fully lustrous with a soft, smooth, satiny texture overall. A tinge of pale silver mingles with dominant color in richly original reddish-honey. Sharply to fully struck throughout, this is a truly memorable Capped Head Left $5 that is sure to sell for a strong premium. The 1813 Capped Head Left half eagle is the inaugural issue for the design type, depicting a dramatically modified version of John Reich's Draped Bust Left motif which had been in use since 1807. The reverse, designed by the same artist, was also subtly massaged, exhibiting modifications to the eagle and the shape of the arrows. With a mintage of just under 100,000 pieces, this issue is the only one of the series that might be considered somewhat "available," though perhaps less than 1% of this mintage still exists today. As a whole, the Capped Head Left series was plagued by chronic melting owed to a bullion content that exceeded face value. Because of this, the half eagles from 1813 through 1834 lay claim to some of the most revered rarities in U.S. numismatics, including the 1815, 1821, 1828/7, 1829, and of course, the legendary 1822 issues. Even the issue of 1820, with a mintage of 263,806 pieces, was not spared of such attrition and survivors are unexpectedly scarce. While this aggressive melting was alleviated with the reduction of planchet weight from 8.75 grams to 8.36 grams in 1834, by then the American economy was essentially devoid of circulating gold coinage. That drought did not last long however, as 675,460 examples of Kneass' Classic Head design were struck in 1834, more than doubling the previous half eagle mintage record set in 1820. Provenance: From the Andrew M. Hain Collection. PCGS# 8116. NGC ID: 25PM. Click here for certification details from PCGS.