1799 Half Eagle

HBCC#:

3060

Breen#:

6433

BD#:

1

Judd#:

n/a

Pollock#:

n/a

Walter Breen described nine different varieties of 1799 half eagles, a large number given the recorded mintage of just 7,541 coins for the year, suggesting that some 1799-dated coins were actually struck in 1800. Most 1799-dated varieties are scarce or rare. This variety shares a reverse die previously used with a 1798 obverse, the coin displayed at HBCC-3059. This Bass collection coin is one of the finest known of this die marriage.

Provenance:

From Pine Tree Rare Coin Auctions' Breen I, March 1974, Lot 140.

Obverse:

Reverse:

Commentary:

"Obverse: 1 all but touches curl. 9 quite close to drapery. Numerals evenly spaced, but not well arranged as to placement. 1 is somewhat heavy, firmly punched. Spines and extra points at stars 9 and 10. Heavy crack thru bottoms of stars 10 -13. Reverse: That of 1798H. 5 berries. Heavily clashed."