1805 Capped Bust Right Quarter Eagle. BD-1. Rarity-4. MS-63 (PCGS).An outstanding absolute and condition rarity that will be a highlight in even the finest numismatic cabinet. This is a beautiful early quarter eagle with intense frosty luster and warm orange-gold color on both sides. Tinges of deeper olive tinting are also discernible as the coin rotates under a light - very nice. The centers show a tad of striking softness, and faint adjustment marks (as made) are present in this area on the obverse, but otherwise we note impressively sharp detail for a pre-1834 U.S. Mint gold coin. There are minor adjustment marks along the lower obverse border, although a loupe is required to discern these features. There are no post-production blemishes of note, and the eye appeal is exceptional. BD Die State c/b.<p>Seldom requested by depositors or by banks, the quarter eagle was not a heavily used denomination in commerce - that honor belonged to the half eagle. As a result, none of the early quarter eagles were produced in any appreciable quantity the first dozen years of the denominations existence. Such was the case in 1805 when just 1,781 pieces are believed to have been struck, all from a single pair of dies. Because of the low mintage figures, wear and tear was not a major issue for the reverse die. This reverse was first used with all of the 1805 pieces, then all of the 1806 and 1807 quarter eagles, and since they were approximately the same diameter, it was even employed for the 1807 Capped Bust dimes before it was finally retired.<p>In a rarefied field, the 1805 is one of the more elusive issues of its type with an estimated 100 to 150 coins extant in all grades, including only a tiny handful of Mint State examples. The very finest of these - the CC #1 and CC#2 coins - have each appeared in our sales since 2015:<p>CC#1 - <strong>PCGS MS-64+.</strong> Ex Catherine Bullowa-Moores (Including My Personal Treasures) sale of December 2005, lot 397; D. Brent Pogue Collection; our sale of the D. Brent Pogue Collection, Part I, May 2015, lot 1123.<p>CC#2 (tied) - <strong>PCGS MS-63.</strong> Ex Baldwins Auctions Ltd.s New York Sale XVII, January 2008, lot 921; Eric Streiner, by sale to the following; D. Brent Pogue Collection; our sale of the D. Brent Pogue Collection, Part I, May 2015, lot 1124.<p>CC#2 (tied) - <strong>PCGS MS-63.</strong> Chicago Collection. <em><strong>The present example</strong></em>.<p>With the two Pogue specimens not appearing at auction in the last decade, it is clear that the collector who desires one of the finest known 1805 quarter eagles should pursue the most aggressive bidding strategy possible when this lot opens. Once this coin sells, it may be decades before a similar opportunity to acquire this issue comes along.PCGS# 45511. BASE PCGS# 7653. NGC ID: BFVV.PCGS Population: 2; with a single MS-64+ finer.From the Chicago Collection.
