1797 $10 Draped Bust, Heraldic Eagle BD-2 NGC AU53 - Only 80 to 100 known

An iconic American coin from the early days of our republic. This rarity is the BD-2 Variety die state/die marriage, with a thinner, longer eagle's neck (reverse). The $10 gold Eagle was the largest format gold coin of its day, chosen by both Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton to be the largest, most valuable coin to be produced by the then new U.S. Mint in Philadelphia. The early gold Eagles are among the most cherished issues in all of numismatics.

Describing the BD-2 Variety, Heritage Auctions writes in 2015, "The reverse of this coin features an eagle with a long thin neck, identifying the very scarce BD-2 variety. The BD-2 variety has a surviving population of 80-100 examples in all grades and probably accounted for 3,500-5,000 pieces of the reported mintage." This image is the coin offered by AUCM.

This classic beauty is a relic of America's Federal Period (1790-1830). There is a real thrill when a collector simply gazes upon such an iconic, historic coin. The Large (Heraldic) Eagle series was produced from 1797-1804. Out of its mintage of 10,940, there have been only 165 of the 1797 $10 Eagles graded by NGC. Only 13 of those carry the graded of AU53. However, since this piece is the BD-2 variety, and there are only 80-100 known to exist today, there are less of the BD-2 in AU53.