1875 Half Eagle

HBCC#:

6125

Breen#:

n/a

BD#:

n/a

Judd#:

1439

Pollock#:

1582

This is the same Sailor Head design displayed on the twenty-cent pattern at HBCC-6119. However, it is from a different obverse die. The stars are all well in from the border. In contrast, the twenty-cent obverse stars at the right are all extremely close to the border. Approximately a dozen examples are known, despite reports from the John Haseltine sale of March, 1876, where Captain Haseltine reported that just five examples were struck. This may be the thick planchet variation described by Edgar Adams and William H. Woodin as AW-1407a.

Provenance:

From New Netherlands 61st Sale, June 1970, Lot 56.

Obverse:

Head of Liberty to left, coronet in hair, LIBERTY and small sprig on coronet, hair tied back, collar at Liberty's neck, 13 stars around, date below bust.

Reverse:

Standing eagle at center, wings spread, head to right, olive branch and arrows in talons, E PLURIBUS UNUM in field above eagle, IN GOD WE TRUST on a ribbon below the eagle, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA FIVE DOLLARS around.

Commentary:

"Half eagle. Thick planchet, unlisted. Listed in Adams' notebook as AW-1407a."