1795 Half Eagle

HBCC#:

3037

Breen#:

6414

BD#:

6

Judd#:

n/a

Pollock#:

n/a

Total mintage for the 1795 Small Eagle half eagles was 8,707 coins from July to September 1795. This total required 12 different die marriages from eight obverse and nine reverse dies. Thus, die life for these coins was very short and the average mintage per die variety was just 725 coins! Survival of these coins approximates 5%, or just 36 coins per variety as an average. Very few survivors show extensive die cracks or defects, suggesting that early Mint personnel were concerned about the appearances of these coins. Small denomination coins, however, were from dies used until they fell apart.

Provenance:

Purchased from Julian Leidman, August 28, 1973.

Obverse:

Reverse:

Commentary:

"Obverse: 1 free of curls. Tip of 5 overlies drapery. Spur from denticle under knob of 5, and elsewhere. Reverse: (E)S over D. Lapped."