Lot 1169
1796 $2.50 Capped Bust. Stars on obverse. Sharpness of Very Fine but extensively repaired and cleaned. One of the rarest coins ever issued by any United States mint, this with stars 1796 quarter eagle boasts a mintage of just 432 pieces. Most disappeared altogether, this one must nearly have been one of those. The surfaces have been repaired on the first three stars, below the date, in both fields and through LIBERTY. Similar on the reverse, with repairs noted below the eagle's tail and around parts of the rim. The lines through TAT of STATES are from the die and are seen on all known specimens of this variety. It does not appear that this coin was holed, but either bent or otherwise defaced in some manner, then further defaced by a non-talented amateur who probably did far more harm than good.
As a year, 1796 saw the beginnings of quarter eagle production, the no stars obverses were struck first, then later in the year the with stars were made. All 1796 quarter eagles are rare, and seldom offered. This coin is obviously a filler and close personal inspection is mandatory in order to formulate a bid.
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| Realized $6,038 |
