1797 H10C 15 Stars MS(PCGS#4258)

June 2026 Showcase Auction U.S. Coins

Auctioneer

Stack's Bowers

Lot Number

2022

Grade

AU53

Price

15,860

Lot Description

Really a premium example, and for both the type and assigned grade, this coin is superior to many certified Choice AUs we have brought to auction in recent decades. The eye appeal is outstanding, the originally toned surfaces dressed in dominant deep steely-copper patina. Direct lighting calls forth vivid, highly appealing undertones of antique gold, cobalt blue and, in the center of the obverse, salmon-pink. Strike detail is typical for the type, soft in the centers, yet bolder toward the borders. A lack of all but light wear means that all major design elements are clear and fully appreciable. Much frosty luster remains, and there are no sizeable or otherwise individually distracting marks to inhibit the eye appeal.<p>The replacement for the brief Flowing Hair half dime of 1794 to 1795, the initial type of the Draped Bust design with the Small Eagle reverse proved equally short lived with examples struck only in 1796 and 1797. The second year 1797 is remarkable in that each of the three different obverse dies displays a different number of stars around the border. The first die prepared had 15 stars, reflective of the number of states in the Union at that time. The admission of Tennessee to the Union during the summer of 1796 resulted in the second die for the 1797 half dime being prepared with 16 stars - for the only time in the half dime series. The crowding of the design caused by this many stars prompted Mint officials to default to 13 stars in recognition of the original 13 colonies. As such, the third obverse die used in production of 1797 half dimes displays 13 stars.<p>Logan-McCloskey 1 is the only 15 Stars variety of this issue, and it shares its reverse with LM-2, one of the two 16 Stars die pairings. LM-1 is the most frequently encountered of the four varieties of the date, although as with all Draped Bust, Small Eagle half dimes it is highly elusive in Mint State. The present PCGS/CAC AU-53 example is exceptional at its assigned grade level and will make an ideal addition to either a high grade type set or specialized collection of early half dime varieties.