While most collectors are content with finding one coin of each date and mintmark, Bass concentrated his efforts on ‘building depth’ in each of these categories. This, in turn, revealed various states of coin dies, as well as different die varieties and combinations in any given year of our nation’s gold coinage.” — Edmund Deane, “Harry W. Bass, Jr.: Rare Coin Connoisseur,” The Numismatist, January 2002</em>Looking much as it did the moment it fell from the dies, the finest known example of this date is radiantly lustrous, as bright and frosty as any example of this type anywhere. Fields and devices show consistent, even frost, disturbed by only the most trivial evidence of handling. No heavy marks are seen, no hairlines begat by mishandling, no unsightly spots or discoloration is present. A very small lamination emerges from the field below O of OF, showing a coppery color and having minimal impact on the especially impressive reverse. Die polish lines are noted at the wingtip at left and below the lowest leaf cluster. The dies are fresh, unclashed and uncracked, and have coaxed superb detail from the golden planchet.A coin of stellar quality and provenance, this half eagle was the finest of this date encountered by Harry Bass in more than two decades of relentless connoisseurship. While many of Bass’s finest pre-1835 gold coins were retained by the Harry Bass Foundation, his Classic Head gold was nearly all sold in 1999 and 2000. The Bass II, III, and IV sales included 10 different 1837 half eagles. Most were fairly pedestrian coins of circulated grade, acquired in Bass’s ardor to study die varieties and die states, a task that could not be completed without owning some specimens in lesser grades. Recognizing that top quality specimens best showcased sometimes microscopic aspects of varieties or differences between die states, Bass also sought out as many high grade examples as possible. John McCloskey’s unpublished monograph on Classic Head half eagles singled this coin out, noting in 1999, “the Bass example of this variety has been graded PCGS MS-66.” A decade earlier, at the 1989 American Numismatic Society Coinage of Americas Conference, McCloskey first presented his findings on Classic Head half eagles. The three varieties he described there, including two obverses with a Block 8 and one with a Fancy 8 in the date, remain the only three known. Harry Bass, a former President of the American Numismatic Society, was among those in the audience for McCloskey’s presentation.PCGS has certified just four examples of this date finer than MS-64. This coin, the only example graded MS-66+, is the sole finest circulation strike example of the entire Classic Head half eagle type certified by PCGS.PCGS# 8175. NGC ID: 25RZ.
