Appearing
in the Rarities Night session of our August 2016 Official ANA World’s Fair of
Money auction is a 1813 Capped Head Left
half eagle that should appeal to both U.S. type collectors and early gold
specialists. Each side of this lovely piece displays a vibrant lemon yellow hue
that becomes more radiant under a light. Satiny luster floods the fields and is
largely uninterrupted throughout all but the most vulnerable regions. The
devices are bold and sharp, with light clashing around the central elements
that is associated with the later state of this die pairing. A trivial planchet
streak at star 13 will serve as a convenient pedigree marker for future
collectors.
The
1813 Capped Head Left half eagle is the inaugural issue for the design type,
depicting a dramatically modified version of John Reich’s Draped Bust Left
motif which had been in use since 1807. The reverse, designed by the same
artist, also exhibits modifications to the eagle and the shape of the arrows. It
is likely that less than 1% of the mintage of just under 100,000 pieces still
exists today.
As a
whole, the Capped Head Left series experienced chronic melting due to a bullion
content that exceeded face value. Because of this, the half eagles made 1813
through 1834 include some of the most revered rarities in U.S. numismatics,
including the 1815, 1821, 1828/7, 1829, and of course, the legendary 1822. Even the 1820 half eagle, with a mintage of
263,806 pieces, was not spared such a fate and survivors remain unexpectedly
scarce.
While
this aggressive melting was alleviated by the reduction of planchet weight from
8.75 grams to 8.36 grams in 1834, by then the American economy was essentially
devoid of circulating gold coinage. That drought did not last long however, as
675,460 examples of Kneass’ Classic Head design were struck in 1834, more than
doubling the previous half eagle mintage record set in 1820.
This
stunning gold rarity will be offered alongside numerous other treasures in the
Rarities Night session of our August 2016 ANA World’s Fair of Money Auction in
Anaheim, California. To obtain your copy of the catalog or consign your
rarities to a future showcase event, please contact our offices today at
1-800-458-4646 to speak with a Consignment Director and see what Stack’s Bowers
Galleries can do for you.
