Struck from 1795 through 1804, the Capped Bust Right eagles are among the most beautiful and desirable coins to emerge from the early United States Mint. At 33 mm, the planchet is impressive and Robert Scot’s allegorical portrait of Liberty on the obverse is widely praised by collectors. Most of these issues are incredibly rare, with some surviving populations falling well under 50 pieces.
We are thrilled to feature a stunning MS-61 1801 eagle in our upcoming June 2020 Auction, which will be held at our headquarters in Santa Ana, CA. Struck from the BD-2 dies, it comes from a reported mintage of 44,344 pieces for the year. However, this mintage likely includes some coins dated 1800, and possibly also some dated 1799. With 600 to 800 coins believed extant, 1801 BD-2 is actually the most available early eagle die marriage. Even so, Mint State survivors are scarce, as the demand for them is great.
The MS-61 (NGC) offered in our June 2020 Auction exhibits rich yellow and honey-gold color on both sides. The central elements are uniformly sharp, with particular detail to Liberty’s hair and the stripes of the shield on the reverse. Intensely lustrous and overall smooth, the surfaces are free of any distracting handling marks that are sometimes present at this grade level. This gorgeous coin is ideal for a high grade type set as an example of this challenging Capped Bust Right design.
Our September 2015 sale of the D. Brent Pogue Collection, Part II, featured two spectacular 1801 eagles, including an MS-65 (PCGS) that earned $217,375. We last offered a coin at the MS-61 level in our March 2020 Santa Ana Auction, which was graded by PCGS and sold for $20,400.
The coin featured here will be sold in our June 18-19, 2020 Auction, which will also offer Vermont coppers from the Q. David Bowers Collection, the Francesca Collection of U.S. Gold Coins, The Dazzling Rarities Collection, and many other rarities. The sale will be available for bidding and viewing on our website www.StacksBowers.com or you may contact us to secure a copy of the printed catalog. Also, download our mobile app to view and participate in our auctions via your Android or Apple device.
