1808/7 $5 MS(PCGS#8103)

1808/7 $5 MS (PCGS#8103)

Summer 2025 Global Showcase Auction U.S. Coins

Losbeschreibung: BD Die State c/c, the obverse shattered with the most prominent crack a bisecting one through the first digit 8 in the date and up Liberty's bust, neck, face, cap, and then to the border above. This is a seldom encountered die marriage of the 1808-dated half eagle issue, and it is represented here in highly desirable Mint State preservation. Nice medium golden-yellow color throughout, both sides are enhanced by blushes of pinkish-rose iridescence that flash into view under a light. The strike is sharp despite the advanced die state, and the frosty surfaces are lustrous for the grade with strong eye appeal.<p>This is one of the more interesting obverse dies in the Capped Bust Left half eagle series because of the attempt by a Mint technician to scoop out a 7 from the die surface with a graving tool and replace it with an 8. Once the overdate work was completed and the die used for coinage, it did not last very long - forming a bisecting crack touching the right side of the first 8 up through Liberty to the edge above the middle of her cap. This die pairing is rare and desirable in all grades (Dannreuther, 2006, asserts that only 20 to 30 are extant), especially so in Mint State as seen here.