This is a bold Extremely Fine example of a rare and eagerly sought <em>Guide Book</em> variety of the 1795 eagle. The strike is expertly centered on both sides, the major design elements bold to sharp and fully appreciable. A few faint adjustment marks in the center of the obverse are as struck and easily overlooked. More significant is an uncommonly bright, somewhat glossy texture with evidence of both tooling and whizzing to explain the PCGS qualifier. On the positive side we note vivid medium gold color that enhances the coins visual appeal.As related above in our description for the AU-55 PCGS 1795 BD-5, BD-3 is the rarest of the five known die marriages for this first year eagle. An easily attributable variety, it is the only one of the date for which the reverse branch upon which the eagle is perched has nine leaves instead of the usual 13. Listed as a distinct variety in the <em>Guide Book</em>, the acquisition of a 1795 9 Leaves eagle has long been considered a major accomplishment for early gold specialists. Few will ever achieve that distinction, however, for survivors are highly elusive at all levels of preservation. One of perhaps just 20 to 22 coins extant (per John W. Dannreuther, 2006), the example offered here represents an important bidding opportunity for advanced numismatists.BD Die State d/b. This variety represents the second of three pairings for the obverse, which was earlier used to strike BD-2 and subsequently went on to produce BD-5.,,PCGS# 8552.,,From the Edgar B. Lupfer Collection.
