1797 Draped Bust Half Dollar. Small Eagle. O-101a, T-1. Rarity-4+. Fine-15 (PCGS). Gold Shield Holde

1797 Draped Bust Half Dollar. Small Eagle. O-101a, T-1. Rarity-4+. Fine-15 (PCGS). Gold Shield Holder.，We are pleased to be offering multiple examples of this scarce and desirable early half dollar type in this auction. This is a certainly a rare occurrence in todays market for survivors of the Draped Bust, Small Eagle half dollar of 1796 to 1797 are scarce in an absolute sense and usually kept off the market for long periods of time as part of tightly held collections. An attractive Choice Fine, this piece exhibits warm reddish-russet and champagne-apricot peripheral toning around golden-tinged to nearly brilliant centers. Well centered in strike, although the right peripheries are devoid of denticulation, both sides retain full outline definition to all devices with bolder detail in the more protected areas of the design. Direct lighting calls forth flickers of satiny mint luster -- a feature not often seen in coins at the Fine level of preservation. Uncommonly smooth relative to the assigned grade, as well, this premium quality example will have no difficulty finding its way into an advanced type set or specialized early half dollar collection. Tompkins Die Stage 3/4.，From our (Stacks) sale of the Dominic Gaziano Collection, March 2008, lot 278.，