1813 Capped Head Left Half Eagle. BD-2. Rarity-4. MS-64+ (PCGS). CAC.BD Die State d/b. Pleasing for the abundant luster and bold strike, which are evident at the first glance. Continued study reveals the outstanding quality of the surfaces which earned this piece such an impressive grade from PCGS. Hints of adjustment marks are noted at the extreme peripheries, engaging some of the border denticles, but these are easily overlooked during in-hand viewing. Libertys portrait is sharply struck and crisp, while on the reverse the proud eagles feathers stand tall with just a hint of softness to its talons. Notice the quality of the fields and devices, for they show so few signs of handling, and the luster is fresh and bold.<p>As a series, the Capped Head Left half eagles struck from 1813 to 1834 are among the most challenging in all of U.S. numismatics. Most examples are from the first year, 1813, although given the lack of numismatic demand for these coins at the time exactly why this is so remains a mystery. Most other issues and varieties are rare, if not non-collectable, since rising gold prices resulted in the wholesale destruction of pre-1834 U.S. gold coins through the mid 1830s. The present example represents the BD-2 die pairing, the scarcer of the two known for this issue. It is identifiable by the reverse die, since both varieties share the same obverse. For BD-2, the first letter S in STATES is nearly centered over the letter E in the Latin motto E PLURIBUS UNUM.PCGS# 8116. NGC ID: 25PM.Ex D.L. Hansen Collection.
