1799 Capped Bust Right Eagle. BD-10, Taraszka-22. Rarity-3. Large Obverse Stars. MS-63 (PCGS). A gorgeous example with much to recommend it to high grade type collectors and discerning early gold enthusiasts. This is an uncommonly well produced coin by early U.S. Mint standards, both sides smartly and evenly impressed throughout the design. The borders and fully and uniformly denticulated around both sides, and all devices are sharply to fully defined. Bright and vivid, the golden-yellow surfaces are highly lustrous with an otherwise frosty texture that gives way to modest semi-reflective qualities in the fields. Superior to many Mint State survivors from this die pairing that we have handled over the years, and sure to fetch a strong bid commensurate with its desirability. BD Die State a/a.<p>After only the 1801 BD-2, the 1799 BD-10 is the most frequently encountered die marriage in the Capped Bust Right, Heraldic Eagle ten-dollar gold series of 1797 to 1804. Mint records provide a mintage of 37,449 eagles for calendar year 1799, and John W. Dannreuther (2006) believes that all of these coins were actually struck from 1799-dated dies, unlike many other issues in this series. Based on an estimate of 300 to 400 survivors in all grades, the author provides an approximate mintage of 12,500 to 17,500 coins from the BD-10 dies. Such an extant population is generous by early eagle standards, and this variety has long been popular with advanced gold type collectors. Even so, all pre-1834 U.S. gold issues and varieties are scarce in an absolute sense, and bidding opportunities are limited given the strong demand for these pieces in todays market.
