1800 Capped Bust Right Eagle : A Collector’s Guide

By Charles Morgan and Hubert Walker for CoinWeek Notes …..
 

Bass-Dannreuther-1. Taraszka-23, Rarity-3+.

The 1800 Capped Bust Right $10 eagle gold coin has a reported mintage of 5,999 pieces. All were struck using one pair of dies. By today’s standards, this is a minuscule amount, on par with some of the less popular First Spouse gold coins that the United States Mint sold as collector’s items. The 1800 coin, by contrast, was meant to be the flagship gold coin of the United States. Over the years, numismatists have wondered if this reported mintage accurately reflects the number of eagles struck with the 1800-dated dies. The 1800 issue is sandwiched between two dates with large reported mintages: the 1799 Capped Bust Right eagle (37,449) and the 1801 Capped Bust Right eagle (33,344).

Numismatist Walter Breen and others have postulated that the total mintage represents the final two deliveries of coins for the 1800 calendar year. In total, 16 deliveries of eagles were reported in 1800. The November 18 delivery (warrant #183) consisted of 3,754 coins, while the November 25 delivery (warrant #184) was for 2,245. Combined, these two deliveries equal the 5,999 often cited as the mintage for the date. The surviving population suggests that additional coins could have come from another delivery.

The following are diagnostic of the 1800 Capped Bust Right eagle:

• Date wide apart
• 1 to the left of the curl
• Die break runs through the top of LIBERTY
• Large Stars, eighth star hangs a little low

The reverse die was remarried after producing the 1801 BD-1 variety, as die-clashed dentils are visible above the ST of STATES.

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Market Data and Noteworthy Specimens

MS62 is the most frequently encountered Mint State grade of the 1800 Capped Bust Right eagle. These and the MS63 coins vary in quality.

Top Population: PCGS MS65 (1, 4/2024), NGC MS64 (3, 4/2024), and CAC MS64 (1:0 stickered:graded, 4/2024).

• NGC MS65 #223944-001: King Farouk of Egypt; “The Palace Collections of Egypt,” Sotheby’s, February 1954, Part of Lot 187; John Jay Pittman; “The John Jay Pittman Collection,” David W. Akers, May 1998, Lot 1907; Heritage, sold privately; “The Madison Collection,” Heritage Auctions, January 10, 2008, Lot 3250 – $310,500. Small copper spot under T of LIBERTY.
• NGC MS64 #3673585-001: “The HFW² Collection,” Heritage Auctions, January 9, 2020, Lot 4455 – $105,000. There is a thin scratch below star 1, small scratches at the bottom of the left field, and a spot to the right of star 12.
• PCGS MS64 #4308221: “The Seavey Descriptive Catalog,” William Strobridge, June 1873, Lot 302; Lorin G. Parmelee; “The Lorin G. Parmelee Collection,” New York Coin & Stamp Co., June 1890, Lot 776 – $21; John G. Mills; “The John G. Mills Collection,” Chapman Bros., April 1904, Lot 522; J.M. Clapp; John H. Clapp, by inheritance; Clapp Estate to Louis Eliasberg, Sr., via sale through Stack’s, 1942; “The Louis E. Eliasberg, Sr. Collection,” Bowers and Ruddy, October 1982, Lot 655; Stack’s, October 1988, Lot 116; “The New Orleans Collection,” Heritage Auctions, April 23, 2015, Lot 5391 – $282,000.  Spot below drapery near star 13.
• NGC MS64 #1731270-001: “The Donald E. Bently Collection,” Heritage Auctions, January 9, 2014, Lot 5479 – $117,500.
• NGC MS64 #1612002-001: Heritage Auctions, January 6, 2011, Lot 5181 – $115,000. A copper spot to the right of the chin. 
• PCGS MS63+ #31694515: “Auction ’79,” RARCOA, July 1979, Lot 1297; “The D. Brent Pogue Family Collection, Part II,” Stack’s Bowers / Sotheby’s, September 2015, Lot 2101 – $99,875.
• PCGS MS63 #80441787: Heritage Auctions, April 24, 2021, Lot 5137 – $69,000. Adjustment marks on obverse. ST of STATES weak.
• PCGS MS63 #36674549: Mid-American Rare Coin Galleries to Anthony J. Taraszka, August 1994; “The Anthony J. Taraszka Collection,” Stack’s Bowers, August 15, 2019, Lot 4029 – $90,000. Scratch below star 1. Horizontal scratch in right field to the left of star 12. Isolated toning. Dark spot below C in AMERICA.
• NGC MS63 #1633524-001: Heritage Auctions, January 7, 2004, Lot 3059 – $52,900.
• PCGS MS63 #3132762: Heritage Auctions, June 9, 2000, Lot 7599 – $44,850. Old holder.
• PCGS MS62 #46092792: Julian Leidman to Harry W. Bass, Jr., via sale, September 25, 1970; “The Harry W. Bass, Jr. Core Collection, Part III” Heritage Auctions, May 4, 2023, Lot 4578 – $48,000. Deep marks in left field. Die cracks are less pronounced. Stars sharply struck. Reverse is strongly defined.
• PCGS MS62 #38234961: “The Buddy Liles Collection of U.S. Gold, Part II,” Heritage Auctions, March 20, 2023, Lot 93011 – $44,400. Scratch from star 5 to cap. Scratch from the top loop of 8 to bust. There are myriad scratches in the right field.
• PCGS MS62 #25135286: “The Rube Collection,” Heritage Auctions, August 2018, Lot 5264 – $28,800; “The Harvey B. Jacobson, Jr., Collection,” Stack’s Bowers, November 1, 2022, Lot 4023 – $49,200.
• PCGS MS62 #40019359: Heritage Auctions, August 14, 2019, Lot 3895 – $33,600. Stars 2-5 weakly struck. Adjustment marks on the left side of the reverse.
• PCGS MS62 #6588667: “The Admiral Collection,” Heritage Auctions, February 22, 2018, Lot 4211 – $28,800. Dark spot on rim above star 7. Dark spot in front of nose. Dark spot at base of T of LIBERTY. Scruffy fields.
• NGC MS62 #1629254-003: Heritage Auctions, January 4, 2018, Lot 5064 – $33,600. Deep curved scratch from right tip of star 3.
• PCGS MS62 #34282485: Heritage Auctions, December 7, 2017, Lot 3265 – $34,800. Unisghtly planchet void in right field at neck level.
• PCGS MS62 #25250585: Heritage Auctions, April 28, 2016, Lot 4795 – $37,600.
• PCGS MS62 #25330576: Heritage Auctions, January 7, 2015, Lot 4329 – $39,950; Heritage Auctions, January 7, 2016, Lot 5611 – $35,250.
• PCGS MS62 CAC #25366517: As NGC MS62 #3168430-002. Stack’s, July 30, 2009, Lot 1462 – $47,150; Stack’s, May 21, 2010, Lot 4342 – $42,550; Stack’s Bowers, August 14, 2013, Lot 4504 – $38,187.50. As PCGS MS62 CAC #25366517. Heritage Auctions, January 9, 2014, Lot 5478 – $79,312.50. Crossed over. There is a copper spot to the left of the cap. Adjustment marks on the reverse of the shield and arrows.
• NGC MS62 #3168430-002: Stack’s, July 30, 2009, Lot 1462 – $47,150; Stack’s, May 21, 2010, Lot 4342 – $42,550; Stack’s Bowers, August 14, 2013, Lot 4504 – $38,187.50.
• NGC MS62 #3054079-008: Heritage Auctions, April 19, 2012, Lot 5296 – $40,250; Heritage Auctions, April 25, 2013, Lot 4546 – $35,250.
• PCGS MS62 #10006740: Heritage Auctions, April 28, 2011, Lot 5420 – $46,000.
• PCGS MS62 #13808757: Heritage Auctions, August 9, 2007, Lot 1957 – $48,875.
• PCGS MS62: “The J.A. Sherman and Roraima Shield Collections,” Stack’s, August 5, 2007, Lot 3300 – $52,900.
• PCGS MS62 #50184398: Heritage Auctions, July 28, 2005, Lot 10374 – $39,100.
• PCGS MS61 #25300575 CAC CMQ: “The Riverboat Collection of Early Eagles,” Heritage Auctions, February 9, 2023, Lot 3835 – $50,400; Stack’s Bowers, March 26, 2024, Lot 4306 – $52,800. CMQ added. There is a dark mark to the left of the first 0. Two ticks on the neckline. 
• PCGS MS61 CAC #4128222: “The Vincent Collection,” Stack’s, July 10, 2008, Lot 3268 – $46,000; “The Kodiak Collection,” Heritage Auctions, January 9, 2020, Lot 4454 – $38,400. Diagonal scratch above 8. Diagonal scratch to the right of star 1. Spot on cap and spot to the left of 1.
• NGC MS61 CAC #1771662-005: “The Lockhart Collection, Part II,” Heritage Auctions, January 10, 2019, Lot 4683 – $26,400. Diagonal hit below eye. 
• NGC MS61 #2721903-001: Heritage Auctions, August 2, 2017, Lot 4158 – $23,500. Stars 9 and 10 are weak. Die to crack across LIBERTY, spreading to the rim above B.
• NGC MS61 #1647273-001: “The Music City Collection,” Heritage Auctions, April 23, 2015, Lot 5390 – $25,850. Hit in left field. Diagonal hit to the right of the blouse. Small hit below bust truncation above first 0. Diagonal hit below eye. 
• PCGS MS61 #28644444: “The Dr. James A. Ferrendelli Collection,” Stack’s Bowers, August 2014, Lot 11112- $32,900.
• NGC MS61 #1737625-001: Heritage Auctions, September 2003, Lot 8089; Heritage Auctions, January 9, 2014, Lot 5477 – $30,550.
• NGC MS61 #3428612-007: Heritage Auctions, February 4, 2011, Lot 4525 – $29,900.

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Coin Specifications

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