1795 Capped Bust Right Eagle. Small Eagle. BD-2, Taraszka-2. Rarity-4+. 13 Leaves. Repaired (PCGS). A boldly detailed example of this popular first-year issue in the denomination, and fairly attractive in spite of its flaws. The surfaces are glossy and reflective with an evenly rough texture and there is visible tooling in the lower right field to the left of stars 10-13. Primarily bright yellow gold, though the high points of golden chestnut add considerably to the appeal. Outside of a small gouge beneath the left wing, there are few marks that bear any individual mention. In terms of "bang for the buck," this coin represents a solid value for the budget-minded collector. AU Details.The large and visually striking gold eagle was first introduced in 1795 and served as the showpiece gold denomination for the young nations monetary system. Designed by Robert Scot, the Small Eagle reverse type was produced for only three years and was replaced in 1797 by the large Heraldic Eagle reverse, making this a particularly short-lived design type. Precisely how many were actually struck has been the source of considerable discussion since the early Mint records indicate number delivered but make no mention of the date that appeared on the delivered coins themselves. Such is the case here; the number of eagles delivered in 1795 is recorded as 5,583 pieces but this does not include the likelihood that a significant quantity of 1795-dated coins were also made in 1796. That number has traditionally been the stated mintage, though the Bass-Dannreuther reference on early gold coins shows that the actual mintage for all 1795-dated eagles is more than likely somewhere between 5,859 and 10,915 coins. The BD-2 die pair likely represents 1,500 to 2,332 of that overall mintage, making this one of the scarcer of the five marriages so far identified, of which maybe 100 or so specimens in all grades remain extant. Scarce in all levels of preservation and in perpetual demand as the first year of issue for the denomination, this specimen will easily find a place of honor in any collection.
