1803/2 Capped Bust Right Half Eagle. BD-1. Rarity-4. Imperfect T, 3 Free Of Bust. MS-61 (NGC).Warmly patinated in a blend of deep honey-olive and more vivid orange-gold, both sides are uncommonly smooth at the BU grade level. Softly frosted in finish with a bold to sharp strike in virtually all areas. A concentration of adjustment marks on the reverse over the shield on the eagles breast and around the arrows in its right talon is as made and explains the softness of detail to those design elements.<p>As with the previous year, both obverse dies employed to produce the 1803-dated half eagles all bear an overdate. The obverse die used on the BD-1 pairing is readily discernible by the broken/missing right serif on the foot of the T in LIBERTY matched with a reverse used in the BD-7 pair from the previous year. All told, four combinations of dies have been recorded producing a total of 32,506 pieces with the BD-1 pair the most available of the four, only edging out the BD-3 and BD-4 by a slim margin. Even so, there are only an estimated 150 to 200 coins believed extant in any degree of preservation; such is the state of early gold that even with so comparatively few survivors this is considered a common variety. Long popular among advanced type collectors as well as early half eagle specialists, Mint State specimens are especially in strong demand. Not to be overlooked.
