1797 Capped Bust Right Eagle. Heraldic Eagle. BD-2, Taraszka-8. Rarity-4+. AU-50 (PCGS). Uniform yellow-gold coloration is complemented by satiny luster in the protected areas of this Large Eagle specimen. Nicely defined for this variety, with just a touch of softness at the centers and sharp dentils at the edge. A few minor hairlines are noted across each side, but the surfaces are otherwise free of significant abrasions. Last offered publicly in our February 1970 sale of the Seeman Estate and now available for the first time in several generations. Bass-Dannreuther 2 is the first of three die marriages that the Mint used to strike 1797 Capped Bust Right eagles of the newly introduced Heraldic Eagle reverse type. It is Style I of this type; the head punch is the familiar Draped Bust motif from Robert Scots original hub of 1795, but the reverse is from a John Smith Gardner hub with a long thin neck to the eagle. This is the only die variety of this style. The remaining two marriages of the 1797 Heraldic Eagle display reverse eagle punches that, although they are also from Gardner hubs, are characterized by long thick neck (BD-4) and short thin neck (BD-3) eagles. All styles of 1797 $10 are scarce and desirable, especially at the AU level. From the Naples Bay Collection. Earlier ex our (Stacks) sale of the J. Stanley Seeman Estate, February 1970, lot 865. From the Naples Bay Collection. Earlier ex our (Stacks) sale of the J. Stanley Seeman Estate, February 1970, lot 865.
