Lot 1681
1804. 14 Stars On Reverse. BD-2. NGC graded AU-58. Untoned with some luster still evident. This reverse die is a bit of an enigma. The style used is that of the "star cross" pattern seen in 1798 on Heraldic Eagle reverse dies, and Walter Breen believed this was a leftover die from that period, but not used because of the incorrect use of 14 stars instead of 13 stars. This may be the case. However, comparing the size of the 14 stars on this die to those on the on only other "star cross" reverse die used for quarter eagles is the 1798 BD-1 variety--which shows dramatically different sized stars. The stars used on this 14 star reverse are considerably smaller than those seen on that particular 1798 reverse die. The stars of the small size are seen on basically every other quarter eagle reverse die except the other "star cross" pattern of 1798 from 1796 through 1807. Harry W. Bass, Jr. theorized that the 14 star reverse die was a current die engraved just prior to use. Precisely what happened, and when, remains open to question and this is an area where further research may be fruitful. Only 2,827 struck. Pop 15; 12 finer, 1 in 58+, 8 in 61, 3 in 62.
Estimated Value $18,000 - 19,000.
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| Realized $20,563 |
