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1834 Plain 4 Classic Head Five Dollar Gold, Underrated HM-8 Variety, R.4, AU55 PCGS, Ex: Daryl Haynor

$4,150.00

SKU: 765198.55 Categories: , ,

1834 Plain 4 Classic Head Five Dollar Gold, HM-8, R.4, AU55 PCGS, Ex: Daryl Haynor. Before Daryl Haynor published his much-needed reference on 1834–1839 Classic Head quarter eagles and half eagles, the only real series guide for many years was some unfinished work by John McCloskey. The varieties now are attributed by the Haynor-McCloskey numbers. The Stack’s Bowers auction of Haynor’s marvelous collection set numerous records for some amazing coins, and we were fortunate enough to snag a couple of these historic pieces. They are not cheap, but as the saying goes, IYKYK. Haynor notes in the auction catalog that the Plain 4 variety is actually scarcer than the Crosslet 4 variety and that the HM-8 is underrated, accounting for only 4% (or 110 coins) among all survivors of this date.

Variety HM-8. Obverse 3, Reverse A. Obverse: Plain 4 in date, tall 1, Script 8 (thick center stroke). Date is high in field and evenly spaced, 3 lower than 4. A long, vertical die crack runs from above Liberty’s eye down to her mouth and chin. Another die crack appears from left of star 13 to the hair curl and upwards onto the hair below the Y in LIBERTY. A third very thin crack from star 10 into the nearby field is barely perceptible. Reverse: The eagle has a tongue, no berry on sprig, leaf 4 lies over leaf 3. Haynor says that counting remarriages, this reverse die was used a total of six times.

This Example: Marvelous eye appeal runs over both sides with great color and much semiprooflike reflective surface throughout, clearly one of the finest survivors grade-for-grade of this issue. The eagle is fully struck, even at the peripheries. An extremely nice example of this first-year Classic Head half eagle issue with a prestigious pedigree, sure to be the centerpiece of a nice date or type set. Housed in a custom PCGS holder showing the Classic Head design along with the HM-8 variety and pedigreed to The Virginian Collection.

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