1799 Draped Bust $10 1795-1804 AU55

History

The Draped Bust eagle ran from 1795 to 1804, with the Heraldic Eagle reverse defining the coins struck from 1797 onward. The 1799 date falls within that Type 2 group and divides into two major varieties, Large Obverse Stars and Small Obverse Stars, distinguished entirely by the size and spacing of the stars flanking the portrait. Of the two, the Large Stars coins account for the great majority of surviving 1799 eagles. David Akers observed that the 1799 produced more auction appearances in his survey than any other early eagle, and that despite a lower mintage it is somewhat more available than the 1801.

Details

Robert Scot is credited with the design. The coins were struck in Philadelphia without a mint mark, weigh 17.50 grams, measure 33.00 mm and carry a reeded edge. The alloy is 91.7 percent gold with the balance copper, sometimes described as .9167 fine gold with silver and copper making up the remainder. Mint delivery records give 37,449 eagles for the 1799 date as a whole, a figure that covers both obverse star varieties, as no split between them was recorded.

Features

Liberty faces right in the Draped Bust style with thirteen stars around her, LIBERTY above and the date centered below. The reverse carries the Heraldic Eagle with wings spread and a shield on its breast, a ribbon inscribed E PLURIBUS UNUM held in its beak, and arrows and an olive branch in its talons. The Large Stars obverse is a single die for 1799, paired with two reverses to produce the Bass-Dannreuther marriages BD-9 and BD-10; the stars are very broad with short, thick rays, arranged eight left and five right, crowded closely enough that some points nearly touch, and set nearer the dentils than on the Small Stars die. The Small Stars obverse is represented by only one marriage, BD-2, rated High R.5.

Notable facts

• The Large Stars obverse die style continued in use on all early eagles struck from 1800 through 1804, making the 1799 the first date to show it.
• An MS66 example of the 1799 Large Obverse Stars holds the auction record for the variety at $493,500.
• A BD-9 in MS62 brought $63,000 at auction on September 29, 2022.
• A BD-10 graded MS61 by NGC realized $31,200, illustrating how sharply the premium climbs between mid Mint State and gem grades on this issue.
• Akers reported seeing a substantial number of choice and gem uncirculated 1799 eagles in addition to examples across every lower grade category.