1803 $10 Small Reverse Stars MS(PCGS#8565)

Spring 2022 U.S. Coins Auction

拍卖行

Stack's Bowers

批号

3158

等级

MS60

价格

305,660

详细说明

Vivid Mint State 1803 BD-5 Eagle Popular Extra Star Variety 1803 Capped Bust Right Eagle. BD-5, Taraszka-30. Rarity-4+. Large Reverse Stars, Extra Star. MS-60 (PCGS). OGH--First Generation. A highly desirable early gold coin, one that is far finer than the MS-60 rating on the PCGS "rattler" holder might suggest. Satiny bright medium gold surfaces show natural pale green and rose-russet highlights, as well as exceptional mint luster. The strike is above average for the issue, with even Liberty's lowest hair curl well defined, and other aspects likewise bold. The nearly pristine-looking fields are free of troublesome marks and show only the most insignificant blemishes, and then again only under closer inspection. Some vestiges of planchet adjustment (as made) are seen on the reverse, with batches crossing the eagle's breast and uppermost horizontal stripes in the shield. BD Die State g/b. According to Walter Breen, the mintage for the 1803-dated eagle is 15,017 coins, divided into 8,979 pieces for the Small Reverse Stars Guide Bookvariety and 6,038 coins for the BD-5 Large Reverse Stars, Extra Star die pairing. Most numismatic references, including the Guide Book, have long accepted this figure for the 1803 eagle. The author further divides the Small Reverse Stars mintage into 4,816 coins delivered on August 19, 1803, and 4,163 coins delivered on November 19, 1803. Breen attributes the 6,038 eagles delivered from June 1 to December 11, 1804, to the BD-5 Large Reverse Stars, Extra Star variety. John Dannreuther (2006), however, provides a range of 13,850 to 20,450 eagles struck from 1803-dated dies, the higher estimate likely closer to reality since we know that the 1803 BD-6 is a backdated variety struck after the 1804 BD-1 and, hence, is not included in Breen's estimate given above. The BD-5 variety represents the fifth of six uses of this obverse die, which is the only one of the 1803-dated issue, and the only use of this reverse die. The reverse die is easily attributable due to the presence of a tiny extra star within the final cloud. This feature is faint on the present example, but it is discernible when examined with the aid of a loupe. As well, the space between the eagle's left talon and the final letter A in AMERICA confirms the Extra Star reverse and, by extension, the BD-5 attribution. On the only other Large Reverse Stars variety of the 1803 eagle, BD-6, the eagle's left talon is joined to that letter. Due to the extra star feature, the 1803 BD-5 is one of the most readily attributable and eagerly sought varieties in the entire Capped Bust Right eagle series of 1795 to 1804. Although this die marriage had been confirmed prior to that time, Harry W. Bass, Jr. appears to have been the first numismatist to notice the extra star feature on the reverse when he acquired an example in 1966. This discovery was the catalyst that launched Harry into his career of die studies of gold coins from 1796 to 1834. The extra star is much smaller than those used in the primary obverse and reverse designs, so it seems likely to some observers that it was added to the reverse intentionally by a Mint employee as a way to identify this die. This is only a theory, however, and as Dannreuther so eloquently puts it, "This is another early gold mystery that defies explanation." With 90 to 110 coins believed extant, BD-5 ranks behind only BD-3 as the second most frequently encountered die marriage of the 1803 eagle. As a perusal of our past sales makes clear, however, the finest examples typically offered are certified AU-58. A type set along the lines of that built by the most famous collectors in the history of U.S. numismatics would be hard pressed to locate a nicer BU example that that offered here, and the growing ranks of early gold specialists are also apt to compete vigorously for this impressive coin. Surely, few finer examples from these dies are likely to surface in the coming years. The old style PCGS insert uses coin #8565, which is now reserved for the Small Reverse Stars Guide Bookvariety of the 1803 eagle. Provenance: From the Andrew M. Hain Collection. PCGS# 88565. NGC ID: 262A. Click here for certification details from PCGS.