Lot 2181
1799 $10 Capped Bust. Small obverse stars. NGC graded AU-58. Warm golden surfaces exhibit sufficient luster and a satin, almost matte-like quality to place the grade squarely in the About Uncirculated 58 camp. The strong details really engage the aesthetic sense with their intricacy. Normal abrasion in the field and on devices; rims are choice. Pop 6; 7 finer, 1 in 61, 3 in 62, 3 in 64 (PCGS # 98562) .
Historical association: A couple of noteworthy events can be used to place this 1799-dated gold coin: Congress suspended all trade with France and her colonies that year. The frigate Constellation captured French sailing ship Insurgente. In March of 1799, President John Adams appointed William Varns Murray to be the new Minister to France. Murray headed a peace commission which ended hostilities with France. Also this year, on December 14, George Washington died of a severe throat infection, following a cold caught while riding around his farm, Mount Vernon in the rain and snow. (An Alexandria, Virginia newspaper published in its entirety the report submitted by the attending physicians.).
Estimated Value $20,000 - 22,000.
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| Realized $18,400 |
