Skip to main content
Go to accessibility options
Welcome
Sign-In
|
Register
Contact Us
Home
/
All Categories
/
Search Results
Search Tips
|
Video Tutorial
Start Over
Filters: (5)
Filters: (5)
Sold Collectibles & Art
Sold Collectibles & Art
Archive Status
Coin Category
Coin Designation
Department
Bid/Buy Formats
Highlights
Auction Type
Auction Year
Price Range
Sold For
Bid or Buy
Available Items
View Past Sale Prices
Sold Items
List
Gallery
Get Notified of New Matches
Create a Wantlist
Create Wantlist
Have a similar item to sell?
Ask about cash advances.
Free Appraisal
1798 $5 Small Eagle, BD-1, R.7, AU55 PCGS.
(PCGS# 507321)
Auction 1380
| Lot: 4353 | Jan 19, 2025
Sold For:
$3,000,000.00
1829 $5 Large Diameter, Large Date, BD-1, R.7, PR66+ PCGS.
JD-1, R.8 as a Proof.
(PCGS# 519944)
Auction 1359
| Lot: 4562 | May 7, 2023
Sold For:
$2,880,000.00
1854-S $5 XF45 PCGS.
(PCGS# 8260)
Auction 1333
| Lot: 3433 | Aug 22, 2021
Sold For:
$2,400,000.00
1854-S $5 XF45 NGC.
(PCGS# 8260)
Auction 1278
| Lot: 5248 | Aug 16, 2018
Sold For:
$2,160,000.00
1798 $5 Small Eagle, BD-1, R.7, AU53 PCGS.
(PCGS# 507321)
Auction 1363
| Lot: 9030 | Aug 10, 2023
Sold For:
$1,980,000.00
1829 $5 Large Date PR64 PCGS Secure. CAC. Breen-6489, BD-1, R.7.
(PCGS# 8149)
Auction 1166
| Lot: 4681 | Jan 8, 2012
Sold For:
$1,380,000.00
1829<$5> Large Diameter, Large Date, BD-1, R.7, MS66 NGC.
(PCGS# 519944)
Auction 1390
| Lot: 3240 | Jan 17, 2026
Sold For:
$1,006,500.00
1833 $5 Large Date PR67 PCGS.
Ex:Pittman. When this coin was last offered for sale at public auction more than seven years ago, David Akers said: "A magnificent, stunning coin which, in my opinion, is the premier coin in the entire Pittman Collection." It is indeed a magnificent piece, and in our opinion, the only coins that rival this piece in sheer numismatic interest in this current sale are the two Brasher doubloons.
As a date, the 1833 is very rare with only 60-75 examples known of both the Large Date and Small Date variants. Only two proofs are known for the 1833 half eagle, both of which are Large Dates, and the other is permanently impounded in the National Numismatic Collection in the Smithsonian. That coin also is "only" a PR63. This coin was one of John Pittman's most significant acquisitions. The story is now well known, but for those who may not have heard it when John Pittman traveled to Cairo in 1954 to buy coins out of the Farouk Collection, he took out a second mortgage on his house. He certainly must have had an understanding wife, but as time showed he had a unerring eye for quality and value. He paid an astonishingly high price for this coin, 210 Egyptian pounds with a 5% government surcharge, which was the equivalent of $635 in 1954. As significant as that amount sounds in 1954 dollars, it pales in comparison to the actual value of this essentially unique coin in today's marketplace. When Pittman's holdings were sold in 1997-98, this coin realized $467,500.
The viewer of this coin will come away with two impressions. First is the incredible method of manufacture. The proofing process used to strike this coin is every bit the equal of the mass-produced proofs from the 1870s or 1880s. Obviously, this coin was produced with great care and most likely was intended to showcase the abilities of the newly opened Second Mint, which opened the same year this coin was struck. The second impression is the incredible, almost unequaled quality of this piece. This
(PCGS# 8167)
Auction 360
| Lot: 30046 | Jan 15, 2005
Sold For:
$977,500.00
1820 $5 Curl Base 2, Small Letters, BD-6, High R.7, MS64+ PCGS. CAC.
(PCGS# 519925)
Auction 1355
| Lot: 9043 | Jan 5, 2023
Sold For:
$900,000.00
1876-CC $5 MS66 PCGS. CAC. Variety 1-A.
(PCGS# 8340)
Auction 1348
| Lot: 3599 | Aug 28, 2022
Sold For:
$780,000.00
1826 $5 MS66 PCGS. CAC. BD-2, R.8.
(PCGS# 8135)
Auction 1201
| Lot: 5432 | Jan 12, 2014
Sold For:
$763,750.00
1909-O $5 MS66 PCGS.
(PCGS# 8515)
Auction 1151
| Lot: 5138 | Jan 9, 2011
Sold For:
$690,000.00
1825/4 $5 AU50 NGC.
(PCGS# 8134)
Auction 1114
| Lot: 1955 | Aug 3, 2008
Sold For:
$690,000.00
1835 $5 PR67 PCGS.
Ex: Pittman. Breen-6506, Third Head, McCloskey 2-C, R.7. Congress passed the Mint Act of June 28, 1834 in order to reduce the weight of all gold coins. The results were predictable with some estimates as high as 99+% of the "old tenor" gold coinage melted and turned into the new Kneass designed Classic gold of lower weight. This, of course, explains why pre-1834 gold coins are so rare in spite of their often-substantial mintages. But what is less understood is the scarcity of high grade Classic gold. In short, these pieces were victims of their own success. They were so popular with the public that they are generally not located above the Fine-XF grade levels. Even problem-free AU coins are difficult to locate, and Mint State pieces are very challenging for the advanced collector. Proofs are extremely rare and only offered when a major collection is dispersed. This coin is a good case in point. Only seven collectors have owned this proof since 1890.
The Classic half eagle series is just beginning to be studied by die variety. This is somewhat surprising as each working obverse die required no less than 17 design elements (13 stars and the date) to be added by hand, plus 80-odd blows from a twin-pellet punch to make the border. The reverse dies were even more complicated with 22 letters and the numeral 5, plus the border, and the eagle punch. It is no wonder Mint personnel welcomed the next design (in 1839) whose entirety could be hubbed except for the date and mintmark. The Classic series is ripe for numismatic study, and what research that has been done to date indicates that the McCloskey 2-C variety is one of the rarest of the 33 varieties known in the entire series. There are eight different varieties for 1835 and only a few business strikes are known of the 2-C variant. The most easily recognizable characteristic of this variety is that the lowest leaf in the top pair of leaves on the olive branch nearly touches the left side of the U in UNITED. Addition
(PCGS# 8421)
Auction 360
| Lot: 30050 | Jan 15, 2005
Sold For:
$690,000.00
1909-O $5 MS66 PCGS Secure.
(PCGS# 8515)
Auction 1201
| Lot: 5468 | Jan 12, 2014
Sold For:
$646,250.00
1828/7 $5 MS64 NGC. CAC. Breen-6487, BD-1, R.7.
(PCGS# 8138)
Auction 1166
| Lot: 4680 | Jan 8, 2012
Sold For:
$632,500.00
1825/Partial 4 $5 PR62 PCGS. BD-1, R.8 as a Proof.
(PCGS# 8145)
Auction 1355
| Lot: 9052 | Jan 5, 2023
Sold For:
$630,000.00
1795 $5 Small Eagle, S Over D, BD-6, R.5, MS65 Prooflike NGC.
(PCGS# 519855)
Auction 1333
| Lot: 3427 | Aug 22, 2021
Sold For:
$588,000.00
1795 $5 Small Eagle, BD-1, R.5, MS66★ NGC.
(PCGS# 519849)
Auction 1216
| Lot: 4271 | Jan 12, 2015
Sold For:
$587,500.00
1826 $5 BD-2, R.8, MS66 PCGS. CAC.
(PCGS# 519938)
Auction 1216
| Lot: 4292 | Jan 12, 2015
Sold For:
$564,000.00
1795 $5 Small Eagle, BD-3, High R.3, MS64+ PCGS. CAC.
(PCGS# 519852)
Auction 1341
| Lot: 3787 | Jan 13, 2022
Sold For:
$552,000.00
1828/7 $5 BD-1, High R.7, MS64 PCGS.
(PCGS# 519940)
Auction 1363
| Lot: 9058 | Aug 10, 2023
Sold For:
$528,000.00
1820 $5 Curl Base 2, Large Letters, BD-7, High R.7, MS66 PCGS. CAC.
(PCGS# 519926)
Auction 1355
| Lot: 9044 | Jan 5, 2023
Sold For:
$516,000.00
1828 $5 MS64 PCGS. CAC. BD-4, High R.6.
(PCGS# 8137)
Auction 1184
| Lot: 4517 | Apr 28, 2013
Sold For:
$499,375.00
1815 $5 BD-1, R.7, MS62 PCGS.
(PCGS# 519909)
Auction 1355
| Lot: 9040 | Jan 5, 2023
Sold For:
$480,000.00
1815 $5 MS64 NGC.
(PCGS# 8118)
Auction 1121
| Lot: 4062 | Jan 11, 2009
Sold For:
$460,000.00
1819 $5 Overpunched Denomination (I Over 0), BD-1, FS-901, High R.6, MS65 PCGS. CAC.
(PCGS# 45655)
Auction 1318
| Lot: 3991 | Aug 9, 2020
Sold For:
$444,000.00
1829 $5 Small Date MS61 PCGS. CAC. Breen-6490, BD-2, R.7.
(PCGS# 8151)
Auction 1166
| Lot: 4682 | Jan 8, 2012
Sold For:
$431,250.00
Make Offer to Owner
$646,875 or more
1828 $5 MS64 PCGS. CAC. Breen-6488, BD-4, High R.6.
(PCGS# 8137)
Auction 1166
| Lot: 4679 | Jan 8, 2012
Sold For:
$402,500.00
1823 $5 BD-1, High R.4, MS66+ PCGS. CAC.
(PCGS# 519932)
Auction 1363
| Lot: 9055 | Aug 10, 2023
Sold For:
$384,000.00
1828 $5 BD-4, R.7, MS63+ PCGS. CAC.
(PCGS# 519943)
Auction 1355
| Lot: 9047 | Jan 5, 2023
Sold For:
$384,000.00
1795 $5 Small Eagle MS64 PCGS.
(PCGS# 8066)
Auction 454
| Lot: 3134 | Jan 12, 2008
Sold For:
$373,750.00
1819 $5 Overpunched Denomination (I Over 0), BD-1, FS-901, High R.6, MS65 PCGS.
(PCGS# 45655)
Auction 1363
| Lot: 9051 | Aug 10, 2023
Sold For:
$360,000.00
1832 $5 12 Stars, BD-2, High R.7 AU53 PCGS.
(PCGS# 519951)
Auction 1353
| Lot: 11054 | Sep 29, 2022
Sold For:
$360,000.00
1821 $5 BD-1, High R.6, MS63+ PCGS Secure.
(PCGS# 519929)
Auction 1216
| Lot: 4291 | Jan 12, 2015
Sold For:
$352,500.00
1795 $5 Small Eagle S over D MS65 Prooflike NGC.
(PCGS# 8066)
Auction 1128
| Lot: 1248 | Aug 2, 2009
Sold For:
$345,000.00
1795 $5 Small Eagle MS64 PCGS.
B. 1-B, Breen-6412, Bass-3033, BD-3, High R.3. This is easily the most plentiful of all 1795 Small Eagle varieties, and it is the most commonly seen die combination in Mint State grades. The collector or numismatist must always remember that the terms common or plentiful are relevant only to the series under discussion, and have no relationship to similar terms in other series. For example, less than 1,000 1795 Small Eagle half eagles remain in existence, with possibly one-third of the total struck from this single die pair. By comparison, a Morgan dollar or a Lincoln cent, or a coin from one of many other series, would be considered a major rarity if the total population was less than 1,000 coins. It is a basic economic matter of supply and demand. The 1795 Small Eagle half eagle has a rather limited supply, but an equally limited demand.
This piece has a short die crack from the obverse border to star 12. The reverse is nearly perfect with only a short engraving line to the top of E and a tiny crack to the right top of T. Both sides have prominent center dots that are seldom visible as they are each positioned on high points of the design and are usually susceptible to slight wear. This is the second of three die uses for this obverse. The first use (B. 1-C, BD-2) has no trace of the obverse crack at star 12 and the third use (B. 1-A, BD-4) has the crack extending through star 12, into the field. Careful study of all die states for the 1795 Small Eagle coinage led John Dannreuther to the conclusion that Walter Breen's emission sequence was incorrect. The order of production for the first four 1795 half eagle varieties was B. 2-C, 1-C, 1-B, and 1-A, using Breen's numbering scheme.
Both sides of this Choice Mint State example have remarkable surfaces for the grade, with satiny greenish yellow-gold luster and a sharp strike. All design elements on each side are fully defined without any apparent weakness. While the grade is limited by a few
(PCGS# 8066)
Auction 422
| Lot: 3493 | Jan 6, 2007
Sold For:
$345,000.00
1829 $5 Small Diameter, Small Date, BD-2, R.7, MS61 PCGS. CAC.
(PCGS# 519945)
Auction 1385
| Lot: 3396 | Aug 31, 2025
Sold For:
$336,000.00
1876-S $5 MS65 PCGS. CAC.
(PCGS# 8341)
Auction 1380
| Lot: 4800 | Jan 19, 2025
Sold For:
$336,000.00
1823 $5 BD-1, High R.4, MS65 PCGS. CAC.
(PCGS# 519932)
Auction 1356
| Lot: 3847 | Jan 12, 2023
Sold For:
$336,000.00
1821 $5 BD-1, High R.6, MS63 PCGS. CAC.
(PCGS# 519929)
Auction 1355
| Lot: 9045 | Jan 5, 2023
Sold For:
$336,000.00
1911-D $5 MS65 PCGS. CAC.
(PCGS# 8521)
Auction 1333
| Lot: 3031 | Aug 22, 2021
Sold For:
$336,000.00
1795 $5 Small Eagle, BD-3, High R.3, MS64 NGC. CAC.
(PCGS# 519852)
Auction 1260
| Lot: 15102 | Nov 1, 2017
Sold For:
$336,000.00
1813 $5 MS66 PCGS.
BD-2, R.4. In 1813 the half eagle was the only U.S. gold denomination being produced. Gold eagles had not been made since 1804 (they were resumed in 1838), and quarter eagle production was interrupted from 1808 until 1821. The Capped Head half eagles, produced from 1813 to 1834, were made during a period when widespread melting took place. Most of the coins never circulated, and they frequently went straight from the Mint into the hands of bullion dealers. Some forty thousand pieces of "recent mintage" were destroyed in a single Paris melt in 1831, according to Walter Breen.
The reason for this mass melting of U.S. gold coinage was simple: the Coinage Act of 1792 had established a 15:1 ratio between silver and gold, but by 1813 the ratio in Europe was 16:1 or more. All circulating U.S. gold coins were now worth more than their face value in silver, as bullion dealers swiftly realized. Fifteen ounces of silver would buy one ounce of gold in the United States, but that same ounce of gold would bring sixteen ounces of silver in Paris or London.
The 1813 half eagle is important to collectors for several reasons: First, it is the initial year in the Capped Head series. Second, it is by far the most affordable and obtainable date in the series, a series which few would dispute is the most difficult in all of U.S. numismatics. Of the seventeen major issues (excluding varieties) in this series, only the 1813, 1814/3, 1818, 1820, 1823, and 1826 are offered for sale with any degree of regularity. This means that the "average" Capped Head half eagle issue is a rarity. According to Jeff Garrett and Ron Guth, writing in
The Encyclopedia of U.S. Gold Coins 1795-1933
(2006): "The Capped Head to Left, Large Diameter type, issued from 1813 to 1829, contains some of the greatest rarities in American numismatics--coins such as the 1815 half eagle, the 1822 (three known), the 1825/4 (two known), and the 1829 Large Date. Most of the dates in this series have low
(PCGS# 8116)
Auction 422
| Lot: 3530 | Jan 6, 2007
Sold For:
$316,250.00
1911-D $5 MS65 PCGS. CAC.
(PCGS# 8521)
Auction 1380
| Lot: 4708 | Jan 19, 2025
Sold For:
$312,000.00
Make Offer to Owner
$468,000 or more
1797 $5 Small Eagle, 16 Stars, BD-4, High R.8, AU58+ PCGS.
(PCGS# 519866)
Auction 1359
| Lot: 4536 | May 7, 2023
Sold For:
$312,000.00
1832 $5 Square Base 2, 13 Stars, BD-1, High R.5, MS65 PCGS. CAC.
(PCGS# 519950)
Auction 1359
| Lot: 4564 | May 7, 2023
Sold For:
$312,000.00
1837 $5 Tall 1, Block 8, HM-2, High R.3, MS66+ PCGS. CAC.
(PCGS# 765244)
Auction 1359
| Lot: 4569 | May 7, 2023
Sold For:
$312,000.00
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Results per page:
24
48
72
