RARE PCGS MS63 1820 CURL BASE 2 LL HALF EAGLE

BD-5, R-6. Curl Base 2 with Large Letters reverse. A rare variety.

The 1820 half eagle is rich in varieties with no fewer than nine different die pairings known to exist. There are three major design types: Square Base 2, Curl Base 2 with Small Letters, and Curl Base 2 with Large Letters. The Small Letters is the scarcest by a significant amount with the Large Letters the next scarcest followed by the Square Base 2 which is only marginally scarce. For this specific die variety (BD-5) there are 20-25 known, with the finest known to me being the Bass PCGS/CAC MS64+ that sold for $144,000 as Heritage 20230 CSNS: 4559.

Virtually every 1820 half eagle—regardless of variety—is bright and this applies even to coins that have not been dipped or altered. The present example has the sort of deep green-gold color that is much more often seen on a pre-1813 half eagle or a Classic Head issue. A good deal of mint luster is seen beneath the thick patina, and the only mark meriting a description is a thin, shallow scrape beneath the eighth star on the obverse. The overall look of this coin is excellent and when combined with the rarity of this design type, you have a piece which would make a great type coin.

With the exception of this exact coin (see below), just three different 1820 Curl Base 2/Large Letters half eagles in MS62 or finer have sold at auction in the last decade. These are the aforementioned PCGS/MS64+ Bass coin at $144,000, the outstanding PCGS/CAC MS66+ Bass coin that set the record for this variety at $516,000 in early 2023, and the MS65+ PCGS/CAC Pogue coin which has sold no less than four times at auction since 2017, at prices ranging from $174,000 (3/2020) to $192,000 (6/2021).

Ex Heritage 5/2024: 4567 where I purchased it directly for $63,000 as a PCGS MS62.

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