Lot 1266
1813 $5 Capped Head. PCGS graded MS-63 BD-1. CAC Approved. A lovely choice BU example. The strike is nice and bold and the frosty mint luster is intense. All is enhanced with golden-orange highlights. The surfaces are radiant and each side has a nice veneer of iridescent gold patina that whips and tosses as it alternates between lighter and darker shades. Need we remind bidders that a weak impression was left by the rebound of the (often overused) dies that usually struck this Type; however, in the present case, the opposite is true, the 1813 Capped Head half eagle in this lot shows outstanding detail and a clear, bold strike, including the stars.
Thee attractive Capped Head to Left, Large Diameter type, was issued from 1813 to 1829, and contains some of the most elusive dates in American numismatics. The Philadelphia Mint was the sole producer of this type designed by John Reich. Survival of early gold pieces, usually a hit or miss proposition, did leave modern-day collectors with a sufficient supply of 1813 half eagles that it isn't a major undertaking to find one. However, most of these tend to be in either lightly worn grades (Extremely Fine or About Uncirculated) or are at best, baggy low-end Mint States. It is indeed a pleasure to offer a first-rate MS63 with all the charm and beauty one hopes to see on such an historic coin. Pop 63; 55 finer, 52 in 64, 2 in 65, 1 in 66. BD-2 (PCGS # 8116) .
Historic background: 1813 was a year of conflict for the Mid-Atlantic and Southern states as the War of 1812 dragged on into its second year. In 1813, Americans attacked and burned York (today's Toronto), a town in Canada with fewer than 2,000 residents. The Americans, who outnumbered the defenders by 3 to 1, suffered more than twice as many casualties as the Canadians and British. The American dead included the American Commander, General Zebulon Pike, who was killed by flying debris when the retreating British blew up their munitions. The Americans left four days after the battle was over.
The arson and looting committed by the Americans at York provoked the Burning of Washington, D.C., in 1814, when British and Canadian troops captured the capital and burned nearly every government building to the ground. At the time, Washington was a minor port with only about 8,000 inhabitants, about 1,300 of whom were slaves.
During the British occupation, a hurricane which included a tornado passed through, damaging both the invaders and the city, but quickly dissipated and helped put out the fires. The occupation of Washington lasted about 26 hours, and within a week the British troops were dispatched to their next target, Baltimore.
Estimated Value $20,000 - 22,000.
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