1811 Capped Bust Left Half Eagle. BD-1. Rarity-3+. Tall 5. MS-63 (PCGS).A gorgeous example of the Tall 5 issue displaying uniform lemon-yellow hues across each side. Rich, satiny luster blankets the surfaces across all but the highest points, yielding across Libertys cheek and the eagles breast. A trivial pin scratch trails off the T in UNITED to the eagles left wing, and a minor rim bruise is visible above the N. A tinge of softness is apparent across the upper reverse, though the strike is overall strong for the variety. Struck from well worn dies equivalent to BD Die State c/e, featuring dramatic clashmarks around the central devices and light cracks in the peripheries. An attractive and exceptionally preserved specimen. pppJust under 100,000 half eagles were coined in 1811 from only two evidently very resilient die pairs. The two varieties share the same obverse die and are easy to distinguish by noting the size of the 5 on the reverse. The Tall 5 BD-1 die pair, as here, is quite distinctive through its almost oversized 5 in the denomination that just barely touches the dentils, while the somewhat more available Small 5 does not come nearly as close to the dentils. The reverse die was first used the previous year to produce the 1810 BD-1 variety. pAs the primary gold coin in everyday commerce, the half eagle saw extensive use so that most surviving specimens are at the higher end of the circulated grade levels. In Mint State, the differences in availability between this and the BD-2 become readily apparent, with far fewer uncirculated examples of the Tall 5 variety known. Choice Mint State examples of the Tall 5 BD-1 half eagle are avidly sought and with so few finer examples available, quality-minded specialists in early gold will be amply rewarded here.p