LOT Heritage Rare Coin Galleries  /  2007 Jan (FUN) Heritage Signature Coin #422  / 

3541

1830 $5 PR62 NGC. Large 5D. BD-1, B-1, Bass-3156, Low

Currency:USD Category:Coins & Paper Money / US Coins Start Price:300,000.00 USD Estimated At:1.00 - 2.00 USD
1830 $5 PR62 NGC. Large 5D. BD-1, B-1, Bass-3156, Low
<B>1830 $5 PR62 NGC.</B></I> Large 5D. BD-1, B-1, Bass-3156, Low R.6 for the variety, R.8 as a proof. Walter Breen wrote in his <I>Encyclopedia of Proof Coins:</B></I> "One 1830 Large 5D. seen many years ago, but I have lost track of it. The variety is extremely rare even in business strike form." Breen also commented on proof examples of the other 1830 variety, the Small 5D variety: "The proof in Omaha City Library, ex Byron Reed bequest, is believed to be this variety; one other reported, known to Wayte Raymond." Nearly 30 years later, Jeff Garrett and Ron Guth combined both varieties into a single paragraph commentary in their <I>Encyclopedia of U.S. Gold Coins:</B></I> "Only two examples of the 1830 half eagle are known to exist in Proof. One resides in the Byron Reed Collection at the Durham Western Heritage Museum in Omaha, Nebraska. The other coin, an NGC PR62, currently resides in a private Northeastern collection. Neither the Bass nor the Smithsonian collection contains an 1830 half eagle in Proof. The extreme rarity of early gold Proof coins can be attributed to their high face value and a shortage of American coin collectors at the time of their mintage." This example is the NGC PR62 mentioned by Garrett and Guth, and it is also the plate coin in their reference.<BR> In addition to the pieces discussed by Breen and by Garrett and Guth, a proof example of the Small 5D variety appeared in the Eliasberg Collection, thus it appears that exactly three 1830 half eagles are currently identified as proofs, with only the presently offered piece representing the Large 5D variety, thus it is our belief that this coin is unique in proof for the variety. The following Census is established for the 1830 proof half eagles:<BR><BR><B>Small 5D.</B></I> Byron Reed Collection; Omaha City Library; transferred to Durham Western Heritage Museum.<BR><B>Small 5D.</B></I> George H. Earle (Henry Chapman, June 1912); Clapp Collection; Eliasberg Collection (Bowers and Ruddy, 10/1982), lot 390.<BR><B>Large 5D. The specimen offered here.</B></I> From a private Northeastern Collection.<BR><BR> Although the grade is limited by a few scuffs and hairlines in the fields, both sides of this piece have bright yellow-gold color. The fields are fully mirrored and the devices are lightly frosted, imparting a slight cameo appearance. The junction between the fields and devices is crisp and concise, with no evidence of mint frost in the fields at these locations. There is an appearance of satiny devices within the letters of LIBERTY and E PLURIBUS UNUM. Slight weakness of the central design detail is noted on each side. This reverse die was first used for a limited coinage of 1829 Small Diameter half eagles, then lightly lapped for use in 1830. This example is from the lapped reverse die, but exhibits no other die defects, thus must have been among the first 1830 half eagles coined.<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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