1799 $5 Small Stars Reverse AU58 认证号47400043, PCGS号8081

David Akers (1975/88)

The 1799 is moderately scarce as a date and is quite rare in strictly uncirculated condition. Gems are particularly hard to locate. However, the date is really not as rare as the low mintage record would indicate. Since the Mint was rather cavalier in its use of dies, it is highly likely that some of the coins in the mintage record for 1800 were actually dated 1799. A reasonable estimate of the mintage, based on frequency of appearance of the date and the number of known varieties, would be somewhere in the range of 15,000. This date is just slightly more rare than the 1798 Large 8, 13 Stars and is considerably more rare than most of the dates from 1800-1807.

 

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Gordon Wrubel

Quickfinder Notes: The Small Stars Reverse is found on Bass-Dannreuther die varieties 1,2,3,4,6,7 and 9. The stars have SHORT POINTED RAYS and are SPACED WELL APART. The stars may be aligned in a diagonal CROSS PATTERN or in an ARC PATTERN top to bottom. By contrast, the Large Star Reverse has stars with LONG RAYS that are VERY CLOSELY SPACED, only found in the ARC PATTERN, and COMPLETELY FILL the space between the clouds and the eagle's head.

The Small Stars Reverse is the more common of the two varieties. But with only 56 specimens graded, and only 16 in Mint State, topped with a lone 64 (as of January, 2014),this variety should properly be termed "very scarce". The Large Star Reverse is rare. Only 23 have been graded with only 2 in Mint State, both 63s.