1799 Half Eagle

HBCC#:

3062

Breen#:

6432

BD#:

3

Judd#:

n/a

Pollock#:

n/a

This lovely 1799 half eagle was acquired by Harry Bass from the Eliasberg Collection in 1982. Earlier, this coin was part of the Harlan P. Smith Collection sold in 1906. In his 1966 monograph, Walter Breen identified this as his combination 2-C and claimed that this identical coin was the only one known. Harry Bass acquired three different examples of this same die marriage!

Provenance:

From the Bowers and Ruddy Galleries sale of the Louis Eliasberg Collection, October 1982, Lot 339. Earlier from the Chapman Brothers sale of the Harlan Page Smith Collection.

Obverse:

Reverse:

Commentary:

"Obverse: Star 1 quite far from curl. Clashed. Crack from top edge skirts foot of L - cap - hair; edge - past last 9 - bust - throat - face. Reverse: Small stars. Crack edge - left wing - chest."