HIGHLY DESIRABLE COLLECTOR GRADE 1795 SMALL EAGLE $5 WITH CAC APPROVAL

BD-3, High R-3.

The 1795 Small Eagle is the very first date of this long-lasting denomination to be produced. It is estimated that 8,707 were made and while hundreds exist, this issue is in great demand due to its historic associations. It is the most affordable of the three first-year-of-issue American gold coins introduced in 1795/1796, and for many type and specialized collectors it represents a “must have” for their set(s).

Early gold generally did not circulate extensively and most 1795 Small Eagle half eagles are seen in the EF-AU range. This generally means that collectors will have to spend in the $40,000-60,000 range to acquire a decent example. What if you could buy a really nice, CAC approved piece for around half this amount?

This piece saw extensive circulation but it is problem-free and it displays especially nice color with warm golden centers framed by deeper hues at the borders. Both sides have a quaint “circulated cameo” appearance, and the surfaces are free of all but the smallest shallow abrasions. There is hair detail on the obverse and strong feathers on the reverse. The eye appeal is far finer than on any low-grade 1795 gold coin I recall having seen.

If you have ever dreamed of owning a 1795 half eagle (and, truthfully, who hasn’t…?) but you don’t have unlimited funds, this is an exceptional opportunity for you to acquire a piece which will make you proud.

Since this exact coin sold at auction (8/2015; see below) there have been two comparable pieces sold at auction. In October 2018, Stack’s Bowers sold a PCGS F15 for $19,200. This same coin sold again—this time at Heritage—for $18,000 in April 2019. While nicely toned, this coin had enough serious marks that had it been almost any other date in this series, it likely would have been called a “No Grade” due to their severity.

Ex Pacifica Collection via Douglas Winter Numismatics via private treaty; earlier sold as Lot 10235 in the Stacks Bowers 2015 ANA auction where it brought $21,150.

CAC has approved this one coin in F12 with 48 finer

From the Pacifica Collection

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