1797 Capped Bust Right Half Eagle
16 Obverse Stars
Historic, popular, and unabashedly rare, the design of the 16 Stars variety of 1797 half eagle evokes the June 1, 1796 statehood of Tennessee. With 11 stars crowded to the left and five more on the right, this obverse die represented the denouement of each state receiving a star of recognition on the nation's coinage. The half eagles of 1798 returned to the 13 star arrangement, symbolizing the original states whose representatives signed the United States Constitution. The half eagles of 1797 are rare enough that all varieties receive a great deal of attention, but the 16 Stars design is distinctive to this year, making it particularly special and sought after. There are two Small Eagle varieties that share this obverse: this one, and the unique Bass Dannreuther-4, a coin that spent over a century in the Byron Reed Collection before joining the Harry Bass Core Collection. This obverse was also married to a Heraldic Eagle reverse to create another unique variety; once sold in our 1955 Farish Baldenhofer auction, it found a permanent home among the Lilly Collection coins in the National Numismatic Collection.
 Half Eagle |  Half Eagle |
The example to the left was sold by Stack's Bowers Galleries in the August 2013 Chicago ANA Auction, where it realized $411,250.
1797 16 Stars Capped Bust Half Eagle Auction Highlights
 Capped Bust Right Half Eagle PCGS MS-61 Sold for $411,250 View Lot 4472 |  Capped Bust Right Half Eagle PCGS AU-58 Sold for $287,875 View Lot 2073 |  Capped Bust Right Half Eagle NGC AU-58 Sold for $138,000 View Lot 3606 |
