This
week’s featured highlight from our official June 2017 Baltimore Expo Auction is
an extreme rarity from the Capped Bust half eagle series that has been called
“the rarity of this type!” by specialist John Dannreuther. The 1810 Large Date,
Small 5 half eagle is a product of one of the most elusive die marriages from
the early U.S. Mint, and any example is among a small but prestigious group. The
fabled Class I 1804 dollar is much more common in comparison, and the famous
1913 Liberty Head nickels outnumber it by one piece.
Assigned
a Rarity-7+ rating, just four coins are confirmed to exist including the
present offering. Harry W. Bass, Jr. owned two of the four, including the
finest that grades About Uncirculated and is part of the Core Collection on
long-term loan to the ANA. The third piece was recently offered as part of the
legendary Pogue Collection, a VF-25 (PCGS) example that realized $56,400 in our
February 2016 sale.
Just
three collectors have ever assembled a complete set of 1810 half eagles by
variety, including Bass, Pogue, and George Gozan, whose set was purchased by
Bass intact in lot 923 of Paramount’s Auction ’80. With one of the Bass coins effectively off the
market for the foreseeable future, there have been, up until now, only two
examples of the 1810 Large Date, Small 5 half eagle available to gold
enthusiasts. The present newly discovered piece offers the opportunity for an
additional numismatist to add his or her name to an exclusive roster of
collectors.
The
surfaces are uniformly glossy and smooth, evidently from time spent mounted as jewelry.
Though the fine intricacies have been lost to wear, the overall definition is pleasantly
bold. Predominantly medium yellow color
supports richer honey-gold patina surrounding the devices in select areas. The
overall visual impact is attractive, especially in light of the numismatic
significance offered by this Rarity-7+ half eagle.
This
incredible 1810 Large Date, Small 5 half eagle will be featured in our June
2017 Official Auction of the Whitman Coin & Collectibles Expo in Baltimore,
an event that will also include the Blue Moon Collection, Part II. To consign
your collection to this exciting showcase event, please contact our offices
today at 1-800-458-4646 to speak with a Consignment Director and see what
Stack’s Bowers Galleries can do for you.
