Nine die marriages of 1820 half eagles are known, of which three are Curved-Base 2 obverse, Large Letters reverse combinations. All three of these are rare. BD-5 is perhaps the most often encountered, with a population estimated at 20 to 25 pieces. BD-7 appears to have a population of six coins, as listed below. BD-9 may be the rarest of the varieties, with a population estimated in the Bass-Dannreuther book at four to six coins.

We count six distinct specimens of the 1820 BD-7 die marriage. Aside from the Norweb-Bass Proof, each has been described as Gem Mint State in previous appearances. Among circulation strikes of this variety, three of the below listed specimens are frosty; the other two are deeply prooflike.

Roster of BD-7 1820 Curl Base 2, Large Letters Capped Head Left Half Eagles

1 | Proof-63

• June 1912, Henry Chapman's sale of the George H. Earle Jr. Collection, Lot 2387
• April 1956, Abe Kosoff's sale of the Thomas G. Melish Collection at the Central States Numismatic Society Convention, Lot 1943
• "J.W.", apparently an agent for the Norweb family
• October 1987, Our (Bowers and Merena's) sale of the Norweb Collection, Part I, Lot 772
• Harry W. Bass, Jr. Core Collection

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2 | PCGS MS-65+, CAC

• Samuel W. Wolfson Collection
• October 1962, Our (Stack's) sale of the Samuel W. Wolfson Collection, Part I, Lot 363
• Julian Leidman
• August 1984, Paramount (David Akers), by sale
• D. Brent Pogue Collection
• February 2016, Our sale of the D. Brent Pogue Collection, Part III, Lot 3157
• March 2020, Our sale of the D. Brent Pogue Collection, Part VII, Lot 7333
• June 2021, Our June 2021 Showcase Auction, Lot 2480

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3 | PCGS MS-65+, CAC

• June 1986, Our (Bowers and Merena's) sale of the Harry Einstein Collection, Lot 344
• April 2008, Heritage's sale, Lot 2435
• D. Brent Pogue Collection
• March 2020, Our sale of the D. Brent Pogue Collection, Part VII, Lot 7332

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4 | PCGS MS-65

• August 13, 1969, Wayne Pratali, to the following by private sale
• Harry W. Bass, Jr.
• October 1999, Our (Bowers and Merena's) sale of the Harry W. Bass, Jr. Collection, Part II, Lot 814
• February 2001, Superior's Pre-Long Beach Coin Sale, Lot 4580
• August 2004, Our (American Numismatic Rarities') Allison Park Collection sale, Lot 1009

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5 | Gem Mint State

• October 1994, Our (Stack's) sale of the James A. Stack, Sr. Collection, Lot 1068

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6 | Gem Mint State

• January 1975, Kreisberg and Cohen's sale of the John A. Beck Collection, Part I, Lot 403

The example to the left was sold by Stack's Bowers Galleries in the D. Brent Pogue Part III Auction, where it realized $188,000.