1796/5 BD-1 Half Eagle and 1825 BD-2 Quarter Eagle grab center stage at Heritage's U.S. Coins Auction

A 1796/5 BD-1 Half Eagle, MS64 NGC, once of the famous “Mr. 1796” collection, and an 1825 BD-2 Quarter Eagle, MS66 NGC will be among the top treasures that will cross the block in Heritage’s March 26-28 U.S. Coins Signature® Auction. The 1796/5 BD-1 half eagle is the second-finest example of 1796-dated half eagles, of which the original mintage was estimated by John Dannreuther to be no more than 2,000 pieces, from which he estimated that between just 80 and 100 remain in all grades. The offered example is the finest ever offered at auction, fully two grade points higher than any other example ever offered previously at Heritage. The 1825 BD-2 quarter eagle is the third-finest example, and the second-finest available to the collecting community. Quarter eagles of the 1821-34 era are dominated by low-mintage issues, as the denomination was not popular in commerce at the time. They were not used by everyday Americans or favored by banks, which usually opted for the larger