1797 Half Eagle

HBCC#:

3048

Breen#:

6420

BD#:

4

Judd#:

n/a

Pollock#:

n/a

This is an example of the new variety unknown to Walter Breen in 1966. Note two berries in the wreath on the reverse, one outside the left branch and low, the other inside the right branch just below center. This berry combination is unique among Small Eagle reverse dies. Harry Bass acquired this from the sale of coins from the Byron Reed Collection. Omaha, Nebraska resident Robert P. Hilt, II, is credited with the 1972 discovery of this variety. Unknown is whether he identified the variety from this coin, housed in the Omaha City Library, or from a second example.

Provenance:

From Spink America's sale of the Byron Reed Collection, October 1996, Lot 996.

Obverse:

Reverse:

Commentary:

"Obverse: 16 stars. Reverse: Small eagle. Two berries - left outside, right inside."