2179

1824 $5 AU58 PCGS.

Currency:USD Category:Coins & Paper Money / US Coins Start Price:1.00 USD Estimated At:1.00 - 1,000,000.00 USD
1824 $5 AU58 PCGS.
1824 $5 AU58 PCGS. B. 1-A, Miller-147, R.7. The Capped Head Left half eagle series is by far the most challenging to collect in the entire United States coinage family. In the early 1830s, vast quantities of silver poured from newly established mines in Mexico and Peru. Having the opposite effect of the California Gold Rush of the 1840s-1850s, this Latin American event forced a dramatic decline in the price of silver and gold coins imported from that area. As myriad Mexican silver dollars flooded into the United States, hoarders inadvertently marked the American circulating gold coins for extinction. This passage, taken from Walter Breen's Encyclopedia, provides a glimpse of the disaster that befell the Half Eagle: "In the National Archives is a reference to public assays (Paris, 1831), at one of which some 40,000 U. S. half eagles of 'recent mintage' (the elusive 1815-30) were melted and found to be of full weight and fineness. This was doubtless only one among many such holocausts, and more were to come through 1837." This issue is sometimes regarded as relatively common, however it is much rarer than believed. Probably, just over 30 examples are known today. Walter Breen speculated that fewer than twenty 1824 Half Eagles survived in all grades. Miller suggests that fewer than a dozen are known. The Harry Bass collection contained only one example. This near-mint, barely circulated example should capture the attention of all serious gold collectors. The surfaces radiate a bright yellow-gold hue and are free of major impairments. Ample, almost full mint luster remains on both sides and we report sharp detail overall, with no mentionable weakness, even on the star centrils or the eagle's neck. For future pedigree purposes, a diagonal pinscratch is visible in the reverse field over the eagle's neck and just below the US of PLURIBUS. A rare, highly elusive opportunity for the early gold specialist. Important notice: Heritage usually auctions material at the rate of 200-250 lots per hour. On some occasions eBay Live bid software or the Internet may not be able to keep up with the pace of the auction. We recommend placing a realistic absentee bid now as insurance to avoid disappointment. Occasionally the auctioneer may eliminate or reject an eBay Live bid, and the auctioneer may also reopen a lot after the close of the eBay live bidding (usually because we missed an audience bid), and may reject your bid even if it shows you as the winning bidder. By bidding via eBay Live, you agree that Heritage may award the lot to another bidder at its sole discretion under the circumstances described above or any other reasonable circumstances. Also please note that all Heritage lots purchased through eBay Live carry a 20% Buyer's Premium. Please make sure you read the Terms and Conditions before you bid.