Goldberg Coins and Collectibles

Sale 36

Pre-Long Beach Coin and Currency Auction

$5 Capped Bust

Lot	Photo	Description	Realized
Lot 3787		1797 $5 Capped Bust. Small eagle, 16 stars. PCGS graded Breen 12-K. Rarity-5+. MS-61. Well struck and untoned. Nice reflective surfaces. 3,609 monted for all 1797 $5 gold coins. Pop 1; the finest and the only Mint State example graded at PCGS. Vibrant even warm yellow gold with abundant reflectivity in the fields on either side, not just at the peripheries but throughout the fields. Extensive cartwheel luster and strong aesthetic appeal results, as might be expected. Scattered light abrasions in the field account for the grade as assigned, but none are serious; we note a couple of tiny rough spots by the curl opposite the 3rd star which can used as an identifier. Well detailed and very attractive. The reverse shows an array of fine die cracks that intersect the rim at 5:00, 7:00, and 10:00. Considering that there have been only a few chances to buy a Mint State specimen at public auction in the last few decades, and no examples except the present one have been offered in this grade or higher, the coin should be mighty tempting to the advanced collector or specialist in the half eagle series. Of course, one specimen is impounded in the Bass Foundation collection and two more are in the collection of the Smithsonian Institution. In the end, the 1797 Small Eagle $5 stands as an key date in the series, with the opportunity to purchase one that is among the very finest known a milestone in collecting! (Only four specimens of the 16 Star variety have been certified by NGC in all grades, and three additional specimens have been graded of the date without attribution. PCGS has this single specimen in Mint State. Serial #05054690.) (PCGS # 8068) . Estimated Value $225,000 - 250,000. View details and enlarged photos Check results on similar lots	Realized $299,000
Lot 3788		1802/1 $5 Capped Bust. NGC graded MS-62. Lightly toned. Nice bold strike. Pop 17; 32 finer. A satiny and lustrous orange-gold toned example with a nuance of faint champagne shade on both sides. The strike is virtually complete, including the stars, although perhaps a hint of weakness is seen at the right edge of the shield where it meets the eagle's wing. Regarding this date, all 1802 half eagles are from a die with the 2 over a 1. Estimated Value $11,000 - 13,000. View details and enlarged photos	Realized $16,100
Lot 3789		1802/1 $5 Capped Bust. Sharpness of AU-50. Cleaned with faint traces of mount removed. A well struck example of the 1802 issue with a wealth of underlying detail and some luster on its medium gold surfaces. Despite its few problems, an attractive coin. Only 53,176 pieces minted this year (many were later melted). Estimated Value $3,000 - 3,500. View details and enlarged photos	Realized $5,290
Lot 3790		1802/1 $5 Capped Bust. Sharpness of EF-40. Cleaned long ago but because of the intervention of time, the surface has now toned an attractive "old gold"color and will likely keep on doing so as it stabilizes. An attractive example of this early issue. All 1802 half eagles are overdates. All 1802 quarter eagles are overdates. For that matter, all 1803 half eagles also are overdates. There must have been something in the beer ration given to the mint workers in 1802-03 that caused this anomoly! (Yes, mint workmen got a daily ration of beer in those days -- brewed libations were safer to drink than the local water from wells.). Estimated Value $2,000 - 2,400. View details and enlarged photos	Realized $4,600
Lot 3791		1803/2 $5 Capped Bust. Sharpness of AU-50. Cleaned years ago. Nice bold strike. A few rough areas on the cap and face from die adjustment in those areas of the obverse only. And though cleaned at some time in the past, the surface retains a nice mellow color and shows limited abrasions. The 3 over 2 feature is very bold on this year's coinage. Estimated Value $3,000 - 3,500. View details and enlarged photos	Realized $6,325
Lot 3792		1804 $5 Capped Bust. Small 8. PCGS graded Breen 2-E. AU-58. Old green holder. A nice untoned coin. Pleasing golden color with greenish-yellow surfaces that still exhibit partial cartwheel luster and a satin, almost matte-like quality that really engages the aesthetic sense with its serene beauty. There are some light adjustment lines in the lower hair and neck. The eagle is boldness personifiend, with extensive detail in the chest and neck feathers, full wing detail (only a touch of weaness on the left below PLURIBUS, strong stroll, and other design elements (PCGS # 8085) . Die crack through the 0 of the date. This example is a later die state of obverse 2. Note the die crack through the digit 0, continuing across the bust of Liberty, eventually reaching the border between LI. The reverse also has a die crack from the right wing to E of AMERICA. Estimated Value $6,000 - 6,500. View details and enlarged photos Check results on similar lots	Realized $10,925
Lot 3793		1806 $5 Capped Bust. Round 6. PCGS graded MS-64. Well struck and a hint of light gold toning. One of the finest we have ever seen. Splendid surfaces on this coin, with full mint bloom and few signs of handling. The central reverse has some crossing adjustment marks through the hair on Liberty, and these weaken some of the central devices on that side as well as the reverse. Overall, a gorgeous coin for the grade, and one with the added appeal of heavy frost on all devices blasting into your eyes. Further, this is one of the finest graded by PCGS, which notes only a single MS65 in the population! Certainly an opportunity for the alert numismatist, who enjoys the study of the minute details provided in such rich abundance in these early coins. Pop 39; 1 in MS65. (PCGS # 8089) . Estimated Value $4,500 - 5,500. View details and enlarged photos Check results on similar lots	Realized $51,750