Of the two major varieties of the 1799 eagle, the Small Stars type is widely thought to have been the first struck and is the slightly scarcer of the two. The obverse star punch bears long and thin points, unlike the shorter but much thicker punch employed for the Large Stars type. Bass and Dannreuther record 10 distinct varieties struck from six obverse and six reverse dies, eight of which bear Small Stars. The BD-2 variety is scarcer than most of the Small Stars die varieties, with a little more than three dozen known in all grades. Harry Bass was an enthusiastic collector of 1799 eagles and amassed an impressive assemblage of 21 specimens for his cabinet, including four examples of the BD-2 die marriage. Some 37,449 eagles were struck and, despite wielding a very high purchasing power in its day, a small number in Mint State are known. The Winthrop specimen lies near the pinnacle for the Small Stars variety and is stunning in its near Gem glory.

The example to the left was sold by Stack's Bowers Galleries in the D. Brent Pogue Part II Auction, where it realized $164,500.