1806 HALF EAGLE -
Pointed 6 in Date

PCGS No: 8090

Notes:
The finest Uncirculated "Pointed 6" examples graded by PCGS are 4 MS-64's.

Images courtesy of Hanks & Associates

Significant examples:
Choice Uncirculated (illustrated above).  Pointed Top 6.  Ex - the Rogers collection.

PCGS MS-63 (illustrated below).  Pointed Top 6.  Ex - Ira & Larry Goldberg Coins & Collectibles, Inc.'s "The California Sale", October 2-3, 2000, Lot 885 @$20,700.00, where it was described (in part) as follows: "Miller-82, Rarity 8... A splendid example of this extremely rare die variety, the strike is bold with full curls on Liberty and even the eagle's wing feathers are complete. The surfaces displaying alternately satin and prooflike qualities. Even if this were a "common" variety half eagle, it would still qualify as one of the very finest seen, as only a few are known in any grade of Mint State, to find a choice example as offered here is an opportunity. Well preserved, and aside from scattered handling marks, virtually as struck.
As to the rarity of this piece, Miller notes that only 2 are known of this variety, this by far the better of the two. An exceptional opportunity for the advanced numismatist to purchase one of the rarest die pairings in numismatics. Color photo.
While 1806 dated coins are the most common of this type, several die varieties exist. The first major distinction is the pointed six in the date, all of which have the obverse stars arranged eight on the left and five on the right. Compare this with the knobbed 6 coins, which all have the obverse star arrangement of seven on the left, six on the right. Breen and others have estimated that the mintage of these two main varieties is as follows: the pointed six varieties only 9,676, while the knobbed six varieties 54,417. In addition to this low mintage of the pointed six obverse, this particular coin is paired with a reverse die in a combination that is only seen on two coins. Of the two, this is by far the finer example.
This coin comes with a Photo Proof certificate from NGC, where it was previously graded as MS-63. Since that time, the coin was submitted to PCGS where it also graded MS-63 by that service. One of only 10 so graded by PCGS this high, with two coins graded higher of the pointed six variety.
The study of die varieties in early gold coins is in its infancy. Recently, excellent reference works were published which brought up to date the available information by Robert Miller on half eagles, and Anthony Taraszka on eagles. Prior to this time, the only available die variety information were pamphlets authored by Walter Breen from the early 1960s, which were found to be well out of date for the last several years. Further interest has been generated by the superb catalogs of the Harry Bass, Jr. Collection by the staff at Bowers and Merena Galleries with pages of information on die varieties of all gold series, with many coins available for the first time in decades. It has been our experience that once the die variety book is published, it takes a few years for collectors to begin collecting in earnest by die variety..."

PCGS MS-63.  Ex - Ira & Larry Goldberg Coin & Collectibles' "The Fairchild Family Trust Collection Sale", May 28-30, 2001, Lot 1348, "Miller-79, 8 x 5 Stars", illustrated, sold for $15,525.00

PCGS MS-63.  Ex - Bowers & Merena Galleries' "The Rarities Sale", January 3, 2001, Lot 500, illustrated, not sold

Recent appearances:
PCGS MS-61.  Ex - Bowers and Merena Galleries, "The Harry W. Bass, Jr. Collection, Part IV Sale", November 20-21, 2000, Lot 314, "Similar to Breen-1B, Pointed 6", illustrated, sold for $9,200.00  From Quality Sales Corporation's sale of the John A. Beck Collection, Part III, February 1977, Lot 303

MS-60.  Ex - Ira & Larry Goldberg Coins & Collectibles, Inc.'s "Benson Collection, Part I", February 16, 18-20, 2001, Lot 4002, "Pointed top 6, 8 x 5 stars, Miller-75, not in Breen", illustrated, sold for $4,830.00

Choice About Uncirculated and very close to full Mint State.  Ex - Stack's "65th Anniversary Sale", October 17-19, 2000, Lot 1721, "Not in Breen, Miller 75, Pointed 6", plated, sold for $6,325.00

PCGS AU-53.  Ex - Heritage Numismatic Auctions, Inc.'s, "Summer 2001 Long Beach Signature Sale", May 31-June 2, 2001, Lot 8935, "8x5 Stars, unlisted in Breen, Miller-75", plated, sold for $3,910.00  From the Dr. Robert W. Dingle Collection

AU-50.  Ex - Bowers and Merena Galleries, "The Harry W. Bass, Jr. Collection, Part IV Sale", November 20-21, 2000, Lot 315, "Breen-3D, Pointed 6", illustrated, sold for $4,945.00  Purchased from Paramount, March 8, 1973 

EF-40.  Ex - Bowers and Merena Galleries, "The Harry W. Bass, Jr. Collection, Part IV Sale", November 20-21, 2000, Lot 313, "Breen-1A, Pointed 6", illustrated, sold for $3,105.00  From RARCOA's sale of the Kaufman Collection, August 1978, Lot 791

Sources and/or recommended reading:
"Walter Breen's Complete Encyclopedia Of U.S. And Colonial Coins" by Walter Breen

"The PCGS Population Report, July 2002" by The Professional Coin Grading Service