1799 $5 BD-8, Large Reverse Stars MS(PCGS#519883)

The August 2014 Chicago ANA Auction The Dr. James A. Ferrendelli Collection

拍卖行

Stack's Bowers

批号

11070

等级

AU55

价格

101,381

详细说明

1799 Capped Bust Right Half Eagle Large Reverse Stars.BD-8. Rarity-6. Die State b/b. AU-55 (NGC). Obverse star 9 touches Y, right foot of A touches claw on reverse. The obverse has a vertical bisecting crack through the 7 in the date to the L of LIBERTY. The reverse is just starting to show the crack that forms left of the end of the stem and upward into the shield. That crack fades out and the additional later cracks through UNITED have not appeared by the time this specimen was struck. Estimated mintage for the variety: 1,250 to 1,500 coins of 7,451 pieces struck in this calendar year. Estimated surviving population: 20 to 30 coins. Strike: The obverse is sharp throughout including all of Liberty's curls and the stars. On the reverse all the central elements are pleasingly defined, although typical minor softness is noted at the junction of the left (facing) wing and the shield as well as the arrows below. Surfaces: Excellent surfaces with minimal signs of circulation or handling marks. Examination finds no adjustments. Attractive russet-gold and antique copper tones around the periphery and devices enhance this handsome example. Commentary: The stars on the Large Reverse Stars variety nearly fill up the field above the eagle. The upper stars in the arc all touch or overlap the clouds above. The reverse die appears to have been misaligned so the left side was raised relative to the right side, thus the greater depth of the devices on the left when coins were struck. This put extremely high pressure on the left side, and caused cracks to form in UNITED STATES. Misaligned dies were an ongoing problem at the Philadelphia Mint, as they failed rapidly after cracks formed, forming chips or cuds along the edge of the misaligned die. Several great rarities were caused by this seemingly minor problem of die spacing. Q. David Bowers: The study of half eagle die varieties was pioneered by J. Colvin Randall in the 1870s, but I have never seen a comprehensive listing of his observations. His work is mentioned here and again in early auction catalogs. In the early 20th century William H. Woodin, working with Edgar H. Adams (America's leading numismatic scholar at the time), stated he was preparing a study of this series. However, that never materialized. Years later Adams described varieties in Wayte Raymond's Coin Collector's Journal. Interest increased sharply when Walter Breen's Encyclopedia was published in 1988, followed by Robert Miller Sr.'s United States Half Eagle Gold Coins 1795 to 1834. The capstone was provided by John Dannreuther, who worked with the notes compiled by Harry Bass to create today's standard reference. From the Dr. James A. Ferrendelli Collection Provenance: From the Dr. James A. Ferrendelli Collection.