1809/8 $5 MS (PCGS#8104)
The March 2012 Baltimore Auction
- 拍卖行
- Stack's Bowers
- 批号
- 4308
- 等级
- MS63
- 价格
- 181,137
- 详细说明
- 1809/8 Capped Bust Left Half Eagle. BD-1, the only known dies. Rarity-3+. MS-63 (PCGS). Glorious mint luster that accents the delicate antique copper-gold hues from decades of storage in an old Kraft envelope. The strike is sharp on each of Liberty's curls as well as on the stars and eagle's feathers. Surface quality is quite high even for the Choice grade as signs of handling are minimal. For an early gold coin, the overall presentation is an elegant delight in every regard.<br />
Numismatic tradition has long called the 1890 half eagle an overdate, with some underlying fragment clear between the ball and loop of the 9. Noted authorities John Dannreuther and Harry Bass, Jr., both believed this to more likely be a misplaced 9, although they note that the undertype does not quite match the curvature of the existing 9 nor that of the prior years 8 punch. Perhaps this is a mispunched smaller 9 or engraver's slip. Furthermore, the 9 punch actually used is a much larger size than the 180 punches used, another curious feature of this issue. As a later die states of this variety, there are advanced die cracks through most of the obverse stars, usual die clashing reverse, die rust on Liberty's bust and below the reverse scroll, but lacking the final crack seen from the second S of STATES to O(F) to the edge above.<br />
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<strong>Numismatic Reflections by Q. David Bowers</strong><br />
An attractive, high grade example of the 1809/8, this coin should attract a wide audience as it crosses the block. I had quite forgotten the commentary concerning the nature of the final digit in the date -- and it was interesting to read our expert’s description above. No matter, as all 1809 half eagles are from the same die. Call it an overdate, call it something else. What is certain is that this is a particularly desirable example.
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