1820 Half Eagle

HBCC#:

3134

Breen#:

6476

BD#:

3

Judd#:

n/a

Pollock#:

n/a

This coinage date is the last relatively plentiful date of the design type, with a recorded mintage of 263,806 coins. Nine different examples are displayed from the Bass Collection. Some confusion exists regarding varieties of this date. In 1966, Walter Breen described just six die varieties from four obverse dies and five reverse dies. He mentioned a seventh in his New Varieties monograph; however, he did not provide a specific description. Robert W. Miller, Sr., in 1997, described 13 varieties! It is now believed that nine varieties from the Bass Collection are all that are currently known.

Provenance:

Purchased from Stanley Kesselman, July 23, 1970.

Obverse:

Reverse:

Commentary:

"Obverse: Flat-based 2. Symmetrical 8. Interior of 0 ovate. Star 1 less than its own diameter away from bust (distinctive). Small curl a bit left of being centered over 0. Star 13 has point all but touching hair (distinctive); and has about half to left of an imaginary line drawn from back of cap to back of hair. Minute die center punch in front of ear. Rust lumps above cap between stars 6 and 7; between cap and star 11. Clashed within RT and behind hair opposite star 12. Reverse: Large letters. 'Punched' T (letter T has a triangular punch in bottom of upright. Used in other years.). S over P. T mostly over I. S over S and space left. Base of E even with that of adjacent T. M lacking most of right serif at base of left stand and all of left serif of right stand. Clear clash; evident within shield, above wings and below ribbon; thru arrowheads. Rust lumps: left of knob of 5, tip of top arrowhead."