1797 Half Eagle

HBCC#:

3046

Breen#:

6419

BD#:

2

Judd#:

n/a

Pollock#:

n/a

This 15 Stars variety has a closely spaced date and is identified as Breen 11-J. Both varieties with 15 Stars obverse are from different obverse dies and the same reverse die. This example is the Garrett Collection coin, specifically mentioned by Walter Breen in his Complete Encyclopedia. Breen described this as an extremely rare variety, stating it is nearly Rarity-8. The reverse has a very heavy die crack through I in UNITED to the eagle.

Provenance:

From the Bowers and Ruddy Galleries sale of the Garrett Collection, Part, I, November 1979, Lot 435.

Obverse:

Reverse:

Commentary:

"Obverse: 15 stars. Date spaced 1 797. Top left serif of final 7 touches drapery. Long crack. Thin denticles due to lapping. Reverse: Small eagle. 1 berry, outside left. Cracks: edge - I(T) - base of right wing - base of left wing - wing tip - edge; edge - leaves - branch - left leg."