How
Rare are Choice 1795 Eagles?
By Greg Reynolds for CoinLink - February 12,
2007
Eagles
dated 1795 are strongly desired by collectors. A 1795 eagle is 'in the news'
since Heritage will be offering a high grade piece at the upcoming auction that
will be held in conjunction with the Long Beach (CA) coin, stamp and
collectible expo, Feb. 15 to 17.
United States $10 gold
coins are termed 'eagles.' These were first minted in 1795. Business strikes
were last made in 1933. Gold “eagle” bullion coins and commemorative
$10 gold coins are much different.
Though there are several varieties
of 1795 eagles, only two are often categorized as being separate 'dates.' The
others are die varieties of interest to specialists in early eagles, and to
researchers.
The 'nine leaves' variety is often thought
to constitute a separate date partly because the difference in the leaves
is readily apparent
Most of the surviving 1795 eagles
have thirteen leaves on the branch on the reverse (back of the coin). On top of
this branch, an eagle is perched. This representation of a bald eagle,
America's national bird, is referred to as being 'small' though it is not
small. It is so labeled because it was replaced by a larger 'Heraldic' eagle
sometime in the middle of 1797.
Eagles with the year '1795' on the
obverse (front) and nine leaves on the branch on the reverse are extremely
rare. The 'nine leaves' variety is often thought to constitute a separate date
partly because the difference in the leaves is readily apparent, even to
someone who may not be looking for a difference. No one would need a magnifying
glass to distinguish the two reverse varieties. It could be fairly argued,
however, that these two are die varieties not separate dates. By tradition,
they have been accepted as separate dates in widely accepted guides.
