1797 Half Eagle

HBCC#:

3047

Breen#:

6420

BD#:

3

Judd#:

n/a

Pollock#:

n/a

This is the 16 Stars obverse identified by Walter Breen as variety 12-K, which he described as Rarity-6. The reverse die has two berries in the wreath, one outside the left branch and the other outside the right branch. On the other reverse, unknown to Walter Breen in 1966, these berries are outside left and inside right. See HBCC-3048 for an example of the new variety. This variety is the most plentiful of 1797 Small Eagle marriages; however, it is still Rarity-6 with only about 20 examples known.

Provenance:

Purchased from the Bowers and Ruddy Galleries sale of the Fairfield Collection, October 1977, Lot 1744.

Obverse:

Reverse:

Commentary:

"Obverse: Sixteen stars. Close date, spaced 1 797. Tip of 1 touches curl, final 7 just clear of drapery. Both 7's clear of denticles. Reverse: Small eagle. 2 berries, low outside left and right. No lower crack."