LOT Heritage Rare Coin Galleries  /  2006 November Signature Coin Auction #420  / 

1920

1808 $2 1/2 --Reverse Planchet Flaw, Reverse Scratched-

Currency:USD Category:Coins & Paper Money / US Coins Start Price:1.00 USD Estimated At:1.00 - 1,000,000.00 USD
1808 $2 1/2 --Reverse Planchet Flaw, Reverse Scratched-
<B>1808 $2 1/2 --Reverse Planchet Flaw, Reverse Scratched--NCS. AU Details.</B></I> Breen-6125, BD-1, R.4. Gold type collectors are well aware of the importance of the 1808 quarter eagle. Just 2,710 pieces were struck, and this scant emission constitutes the entire Capped Bust Left type. By the time quarter eagles were struck again, in 1821, a different type, the Capped Head Left, was utilized. Both types were derived from the half eagle, a denomination that was struck with greater regularity throughout the early 19th century.<BR> The Capped Bust Left quarter eagle is the second rarest gold type. Only the No Stars Capped Bust Right quarter eagle, struck only in 1796, is more difficult to acquire in circulated grades. In AU58 and finer condition, it is something of a toss-up which of the two types are rarest. Needless to say, it is a significant event for gold type collectors whenever <I>either</B></I> variety appears at auction.<BR> This briefly circulated example shows slight friction on the cap, drapery, and hair. The stars are softly impressed, as made, as are the wing tips, but actual wear is minimal. A small, shallow lamination on the reverse at 5 o'clock constitutes the "Planchet Flaw" referred to on the NCS insert. A few bright hairlines on the reverse field, beneath the scroll and under the left (facing) wing, are perhaps inaccurately noted as "Reverse Scratched" on the insert. A more accurate notation would be "Improperly Cleaned," since the piece is a bit bright and lightly hairlined. These problems only bring the piece within range of most gold type set collectors, who would only be confounded by an Uncirculated example that auctions at the six-figure level. Those who lack ownership of an oil well or a money tree can appreciate the importance of the present opportunity. The acquisition of any 1808 quarter eagle immediately elevates a gold type collection to a class above nearly all of its competitors.<BR><BR><b>Shipping:</b> Coin/Currency (<a target="_blank" href="http://www.heritageauctions.com/common/shipping.php">view shipping information</a>)
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