1799 Capped Bust Right Eagle. BD-1, Taraszka-13. Rarity-7. Small Obverse Stars. AU Details--Improperly Cleaned (NCS).A rare and exciting offering for advanced collectors of early gold varieties. This may not be a perfect example, but the 1799 BD-1 eagle is a famous rarity with only seven specimens positively confirmed to exist. Both sides offer plenty of bold to sharp striking detail, but evidence for the NCS qualifier places this coin toward the lower end of the census. Glossy, somewhat muted honey-gold surfaces suggest polishing, but there are few marks, and none that are singularly distracting. BD Die State a-b/b.<p>After delivering 842 eagles on February 28, 1798, the Mint ceased production of this denomination until May 14, 1799. The first 1799-dated coins introduced several new features that would become standard through the end of the Capped Bust Right series in 1804. For the obverse, the Mint finally settled upon the 8x5 arrangement for the 13 stars. The reverse features the first use of Robert Scots Heraldic Eagle hub, which differs from the various John Smith Gardner hubs in several key aspects. The stars are in a distinct and even arc pattern, there are four vertical lines in the six shield stripes, the eagle has a short, thick neck, and there are three as opposed to two rows of feathers in the eagles tail. BD-1 is undoubtedly the first 1799-dated variety produced, for there is a unique copper die trial known. That coin, attributed as Judd-26 and Pollock-44, most recently appeared at auction in our (Bowers and Merenas) Salisbury and Woods Collections sale, September 1994, lot 1023. It represents the Mints initial test of the new Scot reverse, the chisel marks on the reverse probably added to prevent the coin from being gilt and passed in commercial channels as a gold striking. For many years, this copper die trial was the only known example from the BD-1 dies.<p><p>The earliest known confirmation of the 1799 BD-1 dies in gold was made by Harry W. Bass, Jr. when he acquired his example from Lester Merkins February 1972 sale. The cataloger erroneously attributed the coin as Breen 1-A, but was aware that the obverse die cracks were unpublished and, thereby, significant. Today, as stated, we know of only seven specimens that are positively confirmed:<p>1 - <strong>NGC AU-55.</strong> Ex Heritages FUN Signature Auction of January 2018, lot 5061; Harvey B. Jacobson, Jr.; our sale of the Harvey B. Jacobson, Jr. Collection, Winter 2022 Auction, November, lot 4013. This is the earliest die state example known and is the discovery coin for the previously unconfirmed BD Obverse Die State a.<p>2 - <strong>AU-55.</strong> Ex Superiors Pre-Long Beach Coin Sale of October 2001, lot 2874, unattributed.<p>3 - <strong>PCGS AU-53. CAC.</strong> Ex Heritages ANA Sale of July 1994, lot 5817, incorrectly attributed as Breen 1-A; Anthony J. Taraszka; our sale of the Anthony J. Taraszka Collection, August 2019 ANA Auction, lot 4016; Tyrant Collection.<p>4 - <strong>PCGS AU-50.</strong> Ex Heritages Houston, TX Coin Auction of December 2009, lot 1742.<p>5 - <strong>PCGS AU Details--Cleaned.</strong> Ex Lester Merkins sale of February 1972, lot 433, incorrectly attributed as Breen 1-A; Harry W. Bass Core Collection.<p>6 - <strong>NCS AU Details--Improperly Cleaned.</strong> Ex Ira & Larry Goldbergs sale of the Benson Collection, Part III, February 2003, lot 2083; Heritages Signature Coin Auction of March 2009, lot 3057; Harvey B. Jacobson, Jr. Collection. <em><strong>The present example</strong></em>. This coin is one of the earliest known die states of the variety, the obverse not perfect, but with only a single, short crack from the border to star 8. We attribute it as an intermediate Obverse Die State a-b.<p>7 - <strong>AU, Scratched and Tooled.</strong> Ex Ira & Larry Goldbergs Pre-Long Beach Sale of February 2006, lot 1232.<p>Discounting only the Proof 1804 BD-2 Plain 4, which is a special non-contemporary presentation issue struck circa 1834 to 1835, 1799 BD-1 is the rarest die variety in the Capped Bust Right eagle series. The elusiveness of examples is clearly due to the early break up of the obverse die, which resulted in a brief press run with very few examples struck. The reverse, however, remained in use for three subsequent die pairings. A leading highlight of the current sale, this presents an important opportunity.PCGS# 98562.From the Harvey B. Jacobson Jr. Collection. Earlier from Ira & Larry Goldbergs sale of the Benson Collection, Part III, February 2003, lot 2083; Heritages Signature Coin Auction of March 2009, lot 3057.
