Another high-powered gold piece in Stack’s Bowers’ Nov. 14 Rarities Night session was the illustrated 1820 Capped Head, Curved Base 2, Small Letters half eagle graded Mint State 64 by Professional Coin Grading Service, featuring a green Certified Acceptance Corp. sticker.

The cataloger observed, “Handsome honey-gold color on both sides adds to the appeal of a lively frosty finish, with blushes of iridescent rose-gold toning more prevalent on the reverse.”

Listed as BD-8 in the Bass-Dannreuther reference to early gold, it is the finest of just five confirmed examples of the variety.

It last sold at Heritage’s Jan. 5, 2012, Florida United Numismatists Platinum Night session as part of the Harvey B. Jacobson Jr. Collection for $172,500 and earlier brought $42,550 in Bowers and Merena’s 1999 sale of the Walter H. Childs Collection.

The next-finest, graded MS-63 by PCGS, recently sold for $156,000 at Heritage’s Aug. 10 Part IV Harry W. Bass Jr. Core Collection session.

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