1798 $5 BD-5, Large 8 MS(PCGS#507325)

November 2015 Baltimore U.S. Coins Auction

拍卖行

Stack's Bowers

批号

20107

等级

MS60

价格

126,764

详细说明

1798 Capped Bust Right Half Eagle. Heraldic Eagle. BD-5. Rarity-5+. Large 8, 13-Star Reverse. MS-60 (PCGS). A lovely and conditionally rare Mint State example of this challenging early U.S. Mint gold type. Evenly toned in warm medium gold, both sides are also blanketed in billowy satin luster. Well struck for the type -- minor softness of detail in the centers notwithstanding -- with well balanced quality that is sure to excite advanced type collectors and early half eagle variety specialists alike. One of the principle denominations in the early days of the Republic, the half eagle required the Mint to produce as many of the coins as possible despite many roadblocks. In the first few years of the mint's operations, regular outbreaks of yellow fever frequently interrupted operations for months at a time which also impacted die cutting. To alleviate this, some creative die pairings for gold coins were often employed, leading to such oddities as the famed 1798 Small Eagle reverse. In addition, to reduce the amount of work to produce dies, various hubs on hand were also mixed and matched in unusual combinations. One such combination is the Bass-Dannreuther 5 variety, which is characterized by a large 8 in the date and notably a reverse die with 13 stars. The reverse die bears several distinct design elements that are now believed to be the work of John Gardner, in particular the long thin eagle neck, two rows of tail feathers, and the arrangement of the 13 stars in a symmetrical "star cross" pattern. Gardner had left the Philadelphia Mint two years prior and it is strongly suspected that his hubs were modified by Robert Scot and kept in service for several years after Gardner's departure. While not conclusive, modern scholars continue to investigate these interesting hybrid dies. Roughly one-tenth of the overall reported mintage of 24,867 pieces are believed to have been struck using this die pair. At some point early on in its service life, the obverse die failed most evident as a crack developing from star 7 to the back of Liberty's head that quickly advanced to a terminal state. Because of this die pair's short history, examples of the BD-5 die pair are quite scarce with an estimated 30 to 40 surviving pieces remaining in numismatic channels. Rare in its own right, the BD-5 is particularly elusive in Mint State, making this piece especially appealing to specialists of early gold. PCGS# 8078. NGC ID: 25NN.