| Description: |
A superb example exhibiting light yellow gold surfaces with richly reflective lustre,
particularly at the peripheries, and excellent eye appeal. The coin exhibits some light
hairlines and marks whose only significance is as an identifier: a short horizontal
scratch above star 13, a little nick outside the denticles above star 9, a pinprick
contact point in the field far below F of OF – these make no impact on eye appeal but
identify this specimen as the Bass coin offered in 2000. Typical regional softness in
Liberty’s hair and on eagle’s talons. This famous issue is a unique one in American
numismatic history and perhaps without analogue in world numismatic history. The 1861-D $5
was struck by the Republic in the days following the secession of the state of Georgia but
before the taking of the mint by the Confederacy, and further coined in later weeks by the
Confederacy after they had claimed the mint, dies, and bullion! While it is not possible
to distinguish between those struck for the United States and those struck under
Confederate control, most estimates point to the federal mintage of 1,597 pieces being
slightly larger than the unknown mintage coined by the Confederates – apparently the
rebels had more important tasks at hand than keeping careful coinage records. The peculiar
circumstances surrounding this issue, and its outright rarity, make it one of the most
desirable half eagles of the type. Any specimen in choice AU such as this is
important.From the Harry W. Bass, Jr. Collection sale, Part III, November 2000, Lot 492.
Earlier, from Superior Galleries’ sale of December 1972, Lot 1955. The certified grade
has not changed since the Bass III offering. |
