1799 Capped Bust Right Half Eagle. BD-1. Rarity-5+. Small Reverse Stars. MS-61 (PCGS). CMQ-X.

This thoroughly appealing 1799 half eagle displays blushes of vivid reddish-rose iridescence on bold orange-gold color. Well defined within fully denticulated borders, the sharpest detail is evident within the eagle's wing feathers on the reverse. Liberty's portrait, while sharp in most areas, is a bit soft at center where a shallow planchet flaw (as made) is discernible. As well, there are a few tiny strikethroughs scattered about on the latter side, also as made. With abundant mint luster that combines frosty motifs with semi-mirrored fields, this is a supremely attractive example of the type, issue and die pairing that is sure to garner much interest among advanced early gold enthusiasts. BD Die State d/e. While production of the half eagle dropped off markedly in 1799, estimates vary widely as to precisely how many were struck. The commonly reported number of 7,451 coins contrasts with the estimate of 10,000 to 15,000 pieces provided in the 2006 Bass-Dannreuther early gold reference. This obverse die was only used for the BD-1 combination. The reverse die, on the other hand, was taken from a distinctive 1798 die made from a hub believed to have been cut by John Smith Gardner two years before that bears his signature elements of the long thin eagle neck, two rows of tail feathers, and the arrangement of the 13 stars in a symmetrical "star cross" pattern. Both dies eventually failed and were not used in any subsequent combination. Overall, the 1799 Small Stars half eagle is quite scarce with an estimated 175 surviving examples across all known die pairings. The scarcity of the BD-1 attribution is well known: John W. Dannreuther asserts that only 35 to 45 coins are extant in all grades, and Harry Bass possessed only two examples in his vast holdings of early gold. The offered coin is the primary Bass specimen, finer than the PCGS AU-58 coin sold in our (Bowers and Merena's) Bass II sale of October 1999. Ranking CC#2 for the die pairing, we are aware of only one 1799 BD-1 half eagle certified finer than MS-61 - the example certified MS-62 by PCGS that sold as lot 4473 in our August 2013 Chicago ANA Auction. This is certainly an impressive and highly desirable specimen whose offering in this sale represents a fleeting bidding opportunity.

PCGS# 519873. NGC ID: 25NT.

Ex Pine Tree Auction Company's Walter Breen Sale of Choice United States Gold Coins, March 1974, lot 140; Harry W. Bass, Jr. Foundation Collection (HBCC# 3060); Heritage's sale of the Harry W. Bass, Jr. Core Collection, Part III, May 2023 CSNS Signature Auction, lot 4539.