1800 Capped Bust Right Half Eagle. BD-2. Rarity-3+. Blunt 1. MS-62 (PCGS). With a pleasing deep olive-orange color, the surfaces are devoid of any serious detractions or marks, offering an all-around visually compelling appearance. Both sides have noticeably reflective, almost semi-prooflike fields that lend contrast to the frosty texture of the design elements. Generally well struck with complete denticulation, the fine details of the eagles breast feathers and Libertys hair are boldly defined and show only bare hints of weakness. BD Die State c/d.<p>The Blunt 1 variety of the 1800-dated half eagle was produced with a single obverse die but four different reverse dies. Mintage figures are not precise for this issue. It is believed that somewhere between 15,000 and 30,000 half eagles were struck bearing the 1800 date. Of these, approximately 7,500 to 12,500 were produced using the BD-2 die pair. Even though the extensive meltings of the 1820s and 1830s thinned out the numbers dramatically, this is one of the more available of the early Capped Bust Right half eagles and is sometimes regarded as a type coin, although by no definition can early U.S. gold coinage be considered common. In fact, no more than 250 examples are thought extant for this variety, and premium Mint State examples such as this enjoy particularly strong demand among knowledgeable collectors. We expect keen interest in this lovely example. PCGS# 8082. NGC ID: 25NW. From the Jerome S. Reznick Collection. Earlier from our (Stacks) sale of October 1971, lot 959. Collector tag with provenance notation included.
