| Description: |
Deep yellow gold with slightly reflective fields and attractive coppery toning on the
highest points of the design. Excellent visual appeal for the assigned grade, scattered
tiny marks appropriate for this grade level, some inherent mint-made chips inside stars 1
through 3, splash of darker toning off Liberty's nose, thin hairline scratch under dexter
wing to R in AMERICA. The die flaws that condemned this variety to the status of one of
the most significant rarities among early American coins are notable but not in their most
advanced state, with a small raised break below leaf 2, crack at top of first T in STATES
causing a small area to sink below the level of the die face, and the beginnings of a
crack at the first A in AMERICA. Anthony Taraszka accounted for only 15 examples of this
famous rarity, distinctive from all other Small Eagle $10s by the Nine leaves in the olive
branch on the reverse rather than the typical 13 (though 11 leaves appear on another more
common reverse). The offering of this attractive specimen is serendipitous for serious
early gold enthusiasts.PCGS Population:2; 9 finer (MS-63 finest). As we noted in the
cataloguing of the finest known piece in our September Classics Sale, this issue has been
rife with resubmissions over the years and these figures do not accurately portray the
rarity of this coin. |
