HBF Core Collection - Detail for object 3120

HBCC-3120, Breen-6462
1810 Half Eagle
Type: Capped Bust
Denomination: $5.00
Mint: Philadelphia

HBCC-3120 1810 $5.00. Small Date, Tall 5. Breen's Complete Encyclopedia (1988)-6462; Breen Early U.S. Half Eagles 1795-1838 (1966)-2D; Bass-1(b)/A(b). Rarity-5. Circulation Strike.
Physical Description: Very lightly abraded with lustrous greenish yellow gold surfaces. An outstanding example with extremely sharp design features.
Die Notes and Comments: Small Date obverse with Tall 5 reverse. This obverse die is different from the Small Date obverse at number 3119. See Narrative, below. The reverse was reused in 1811.
Die State: A very faint die crack joins stars 3 through 6 with another through the lower portion of the date. The reverse has a very faint die crack from OF to the wing and base of AMER.
Provenance: From RARCOA's session of Auction '86, July 1986, Lot 938.
Narrative: This is the variety described by Walter Breen as 2-D, although the obverse is clearly different from obverse 2 in number 3119, above. A quick glance at the position of star 1 will suffice to distinguish between these obverse dies: on obverse 2, above, star 1 points to the lower edge of a dentil, almost between dentils. On this obverse, star 1 points almost exactly to the center of a dentil. The first digit 1 is directly over a single dentil on this obverse, and is over the space between two dentils on obverse 2. These different obverse dies lead to further confusion surrounding known varieties.
Walter Breen recorded three different varieties with the Small Date obverse, namely 2-B, 2-C, and 2-D. However, his Breen 2-D is actually from a different obverse die as we have noted, thus should have been labeled 3-D in his Early U.S. Half Eagles 1795-1838 (1966). Robert Miller noted this difference in obverse dies, and added a new 3-D variety in his reference, however, also retained the 2-D combination, which we now believe never existed. Incidentally, the variety labeled Breen 2-C also may not exist, with no example in the Harry Bass Collection, nor examples seen from other sources.
Harry W. Bass, Jr. Commentary: "Obverse: Small Date. First 1 centered over denticle below, top a bit higher than that of 8. Star 12 repunched. Faint crack stars 3 thru 6; another between lower halves of date numerals. Minute die center punch lump. No rust lumps. Reverse: Tall 5, base above three shortened denticles; D repunched. E(S) above B and left upright of U. Faint crack in O; under OF - wing - AMER. Faint clash at top of left wing. No rust lumps." Inventory number 18179.