1799 $10 Large Stars Obverse MS(PCGS#8562)

The Summer 2022 Global Showcase Auction U.S. Coins

拍卖行

Stack's Bowers

批号

7175

等级

MS62+

价格

297,851

详细说明

Very Pleasing Mint State 1799 Eagle Popular BD-10 Large Obverse Stars Variety 1799 Capped Bust Right Eagle. BD-10, Taraszka-22. Rarity-3. Large Obverse Stars. MS-62+ (PCGS). One could spend a lifetime searching and not find a more technically solid, aesthetically pleasing early ten-dollar gold eagle than this at the grade level offered here. It is a wonderfully original piece with wisps of pinkish-rose iridescence outlining most of the design elements. The color is otherwise a rich deep orange-gold with subtle olive undertones evident. The fields are semi-reflective, more so on the obverse than the reverse, with a frosty texture to smartly impressed design elements. A concentration of light handling marks in the left obverse field precludes a higher grade from a technical standpoint, but the eye appeal is suggestive of an MS-63 rating. Premium quality in all regards, and sure to sell for a strong bid. BD Die State a/a. The year 1799 proved to be eventful. Two famed patriots, George Washington and Patrick Henry, died and were widely mourned across the nation. In Cabarrus County, North Carolina, a young Conrad John Reed found a shiny and very heavy yellow rock that turned out to be a gold nugget weighing 17 pounds, consequently igniting the first gold rush in the United States. Gold from the Southern states would in time form the principle source of this metal to the Mint until the vast discoveries in California beginning in the late 1840s. In this year, the production of the ten-dollar gold eagle was stepped up to significant levels after having been struck in modest quantities since its inception. According to Mint records, 37,449 coins were struck in two major obverse design varieties, Small Stars and Large Stars. A total of six obverse and six reverse dies were employed in ten die combinations: eight die pairings for the Small Stars variety and only two pairings for the Large Stars. Of the two major varieties of the 1799 eagle, the Small Stars type is widely thought to have been the first struck and is the slightly scarcer of the two, albeit not by much. At some point the Small Stars punch with long and thin points broke and a new punch was prepared with stars that are shorter but much "fatter and puffier," as Garrett and Guth (2008) note. The resultant obverse die, Bass-Dannreuther Die 6, was mated to two reverse dies Bass-Dannreuther Die E and Die F, and used for the remainder of the year, producing an estimated 13,000 to 18,000 coins. The BD-10 reverse die can be easily distinguished from the BD-9 reverse by the location of the lowest berry with relation to the last A in AMERICA. On the BD-10 reverse die (Die F), this berry is located directly under the right foot of the A, whereas on Die E (used on BD) this berry is past the right foot of the A. A less obvious but no less important diagnostic is the location of the lowest left star in regard to the eagle's beak -- only on Die F are both the upper and lower beak points touching the star, on Die E, the star is free of the beak. Die F was later used for the only known 1800 die pair and one in 1801. Thanks to its comparatively generous mintage figure, the 1799 Large Stars eagle is one of the most available early eagles. Roughly 800 to 900 eagles of both varieties are thought to be extant. The BD-10 die marriage is by far the most available of the Large Stars coins with somewhere between 300 and 400 survivors, making it the most frequently seen of the 1799 eagles. Because of its overall availability, the 1799 Large Stars eagle has long been popular as a type coin for the design as well as for year collectors desirous of just one specimen. Harry W. Bass, Jr. on the other hand was an enthusiastic collector of the issue and amassed an impressive collection of 21 specimens for his cabinet, including two examples of the BD-10 variety. Despite the denomination's very high purchasing power in its day, a small number in Mint State are known, primarily at the lower end of the spectrum. There are a few Choice Mint State specimens recorded, though the number of grading events is likely to be inflated due to resubmissions. Above the Choice level, the 1799 eagle is a significant condition rarity with only a few Gems. Representing the finest realistically obtainable for most gold collectors, our offering of this PQ example in MS-62+ represents an important bidding opportunity. PCGS# 8562. NGC ID: 2625. Click here for certification details from PCGS. Image with the PCGS TrueView logo is obtained from and is subject to a license agreement with Collectors Universe, Inc. and its divisions PCGS and PSA. Click here to see Coins in Motion.[“Coins]