1806 $5 Knobbed 6, 7x6 Stars MS(PCGS#8089)

June 2026 Showcase Auction U.S. Coins

경매인

Stack's Bowers

로트 번호

2228

등급

MS61

가격

23,180

로트 설명

BD Die State d/e. Softly lustrous medium gold surfaces exhibit tinges of olive and pale rose colors at isolated viewing angles. Uncommonly smooth in hand for the assigned grade, this attractive BU example also offers bold to sharp strike detail to virtually all design elements.<p>The early years of half eagle production proved to be fraught with difficulties in maintaining die life, as the sheer number of die varieties of some of the earlier issues will attest. Since die steel was often at a premium, the Mint devoted considerable time and effort to find ways of extending the usable life of its dies. By 1806, they found what appeared to be a solution: set the obverse die in the anvil position on the base of the coining press and use the reverse in the role of hammer die. This simple change had the effect of not only prolonging the service life of the dies but also it allowed the obverse die to impart a crisper impression. This innovation proved to be instrumental in increasing production of the denomination in the coming years when demand for the denomination continued to increase in both domestic and international trade. This was made readily apparent with the 64,093 half eagles struck in 1806 when five obverse and six reverse dies were required in six different combinations. Only the final BD-6 die pair - easily recognizable by the rounded top to the 6 in the date - used the new die positioning, allowing it to have the greatest resilience of the six marriages, accounting for nearly 50,000 pieces of the overall mintage. While many thousands of early gold coins ended up in the bullion dealers' crucibles in the 1820s and 1830s, somewhere between 600 and 900 examples of the BD-6 1806 half eagles are believed extant, with nearly a third of these in high grade, making this a perfect candidate for type collectors who do not want to compromise on quality. A delightfully charming example.