Lot 1251
1806 $5 Capped Bust. Round 6. NGC graded MS-65. Well struck and untoned with intense frosty mint luster throughout. We note some light mint-made adjustment marks running vertically thru the center of the obverse that does not detract from the beauty of this wonderful gem quality half eagle. A total of 54,417 were minted for all varieties.
Virtually blinding-golden fields stream light out in every direction of this beautiful specimen. The strike is crisp in most peripheral areas, though some lack of detail may be found at the hair curls in the center as well as at the left and right sides of the shield on reverse, typical of the coins of 1806 including those from other denominations as well. A small tic mark at Liberty's chin.
The Round 6 (a.k.a. Knobbed 6 in many reference books) is a one-off variety, the only use of this obverse. In the date, all four numerals are small and squat, with 8 and 0 leaning left. Small letters in LIBERTY. There is a die crack through N of UNITED to the arrowheads. Dannreuther (and others) consider the Round 6 coinage "by far the most commonly seen 1806 variety and also the most seen variety among all the Draped Bust Large Eagle coins." Possibly as many as 35,000 to 50,000 of the entire 64,093 pieces minted that year are comprised of this variety, with perhaps 600 to 900 known today in various (usually much lower) grades.
"As with the 1806 half dollars, the Pointed 6 half eagle varieties had the obverse die in the hammer and the reverse die in the anvil position. For the Knobbed 6 half dollar issues and this half eagle variety this die alignment was reverse, resulting in better struck obverses." [Dannreuther, p. 299.] Pop 1; none finer (PCGS # 8089) .
Estimated Value $100,000 - 110,000.
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