1800 Capped Bust Right Eagle. BD-1, Taraszka-23, the only known dies. Rarity-3+. AU-58 (PCGS).Type and Style: Type II: Capped Bust Right, Heraldic Eagle. Style VII: Head of 1795 with 13 large stars arranged eight left, five right; Reverse of 1799 with 13 small stars in the field below the clouds and a short, thick neck on the eagle. The head and eagle punches are attributed to hubs prepared by Robert Scot.Die Variety: BD-1, Taraszka-23, Breen 1-A, HBCC-3192. This variety represents the only use of this obverse die and the second of three uses of this reverse die. Star 7 on the obverse is dramatically repunched, the letter L in LIBERTY is very close to the top of the cap, and star 9 is very close to the letter Y. On the reverse, the tip of a leaf in the olive branch is joined to the right foot of the letter I in AMERICA and the lowest berry in the branch is under the right foot of the final letter A.Die State: BD Die State c/e. This coin is in the same general die state as the other 1800 eagle in the Taraszka Collection (offered above). The obverse is cracked through the top of the letters in the word LIBERTY with considerable crumbling between several of the letters. The crack splits into two at the right top of the letter B, and branches from the main crack extend to the border between the letters LI and BE. The main crack extends faintly to the left of the L, where it joins a nearly vertical crack that extends from the border through Libertys cap into the hair behind the ear.The reverse exhibits dentil clash along the top of the letters STAT in STATES, which happened during this dies use in the 1801 BD-1 pairing. The clash marks are faint in Die State e due to lapping of the die during its remarriage with the 1800-dated obverse. A die crack originates in the field below the letter R in AMERICA and extends through the leaves below the letters ICA, the eagles left talon, the tip of the stem and the eagles tail to the border below the arrow butts. A second crack goes from the tail through the arrow butts and arrows to the letter U in UNITED, a third crack extends through the bottom of the letters UNI, and a fourth crack originates from the border above the first letter A in AMERICA and extends along the top of the letters ME.Unlike the other 1800 eagle in the Taraszka Collection offered above, this coin exhibits two additional reverse cracks: from the lower border up through the end of the branch stem to the shield at the base of stripe 5; from the border above the center of the letter N in UNITED through the top of the letters NIT. Additionally, the main obverse crack along the top of the letters in the word LIBERTY now extends prominently through stars 9 and 10. We believe that this coin represents the latest die state of the issue known to researchers.Estimated Mintage for the Issue: Most numismatic references provide a mintage of 5,999 pieces for this issue, which is based on Walter Breens assumption that the only 1800-dated eagles produced were those delivered from November 18 to 25 of that year (5,999 coins). Dannreuther provides a much broader range of 5,999 to 12,500 pieces produced in deference to the fact that many, if not most 1800 eagles were struck from a remarriage of these dies after the Mints delivery of the 1801 BD-1 variety. As such, many 1800 eagles were almost certainly struck during calendar year 1801.Estimated Mintage for the Variety: Since there is only a single die variety known for the 1800 eagle, the estimated mintage for the variety is the same as that for the issue.Estimated Surviving Population for the Variety: Two hundred to 300 coins are believed extant in all grades (per Dannreuther).Strike: Fully to sharply defined features exhibit just a touch of softness to stars 3 and 4 on the obverse, the end of Libertys bust, the eagles right talon and wing tip, and the cloud below the letter O in OF.Surfaces: Bright golden-yellow surfaces retain ample evidence of a semi-prooflike finish in the fields. Remarkably smooth for a lightly circulated early eagle, we note only small, wispy handling marks that are inconspicuous to the unaided eye. A tiny, shallow planchet void in the lower obverse field before star 1 should serve as a useful identifying feature.Commentary: Mr. Taraszkas second 1800 eagle, offered here, represents the latest state of this workhorse die known to us. It is clearly one of the final 1800-dated eagles struck, almost certainly in 1801, and definitely after all examples of the 1801 BD-1 variety due to the presence of dentil clash on the reverse along the top of the letters STAT in the word STATES. This lovely, semi-prooflike Choice AU will do equally well in an advanced gold type set or specialized variety collection.From the Anthony J. Taraszka Collection. Earlier from Superiors sale of September 1997, lot 2971.
