{"id":38034,"date":"2025-12-20T00:52:22","date_gmt":"2025-12-20T00:52:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gpnewswire.com\/news\/heritage-auctions-to-present-the-harvey-b-jacobson-jr-collection-of-early-half-eagles-at-fun-2026\/"},"modified":"2025-12-20T00:52:22","modified_gmt":"2025-12-20T00:52:22","slug":"heritage-auctions-to-present-the-harvey-b-jacobson-jr-collection-of-early-half-eagles-at-fun-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gpnewswire.com\/news\/heritage-auctions-to-present-the-harvey-b-jacobson-jr-collection-of-early-half-eagles-at-fun-2026\/","title":{"rendered":"Heritage Auctions to Present the Harvey B. Jacobson, Jr. Collection of Early Half Eagles at FUN 2026"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"1795
1795 $5 Large Eagle, BD-13, High R.8, MS62 PCGS<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

An extraordinary collection of the rarest and most important early U.S. half eagle varieties ever assembled will cross the auction block on January 8<\/strong> at Heritage Auctions\u2019 U.S. Coins Signature\u00ae Auction<\/strong><\/a><\/span> \u2013 FUN Special Sessions: Ellsworth & Jacobson.<\/p>\n

The Harvey B. Jacobson, Jr. Collection of Early Half Eagles<\/strong><\/a><\/span> is a remarkable 68-lot<\/strong> offering that represents one of the most ambitious and successful pursuits in American numismatics. Built with a singular goal, to acquire the rarest known die varieties in the early $5 gold series<\/strong>, the collection includes every early gold variety that eluded legendary collector Harry W. Bass, Jr., with the sole exception of two unique 1797 varieties permanently housed in the Smithsonian Institution.<\/p>\n

A Collection Built on Elite Rarities<\/h3>\n

\u201cLike many of the savviest numismatists, Harvey Jacobson pursued the major rarities in this series first,\u201d says Todd Imhof, Executive Vice President at Heritage Auctions.<\/strong> \u201cThat immediate commitment to elite coins became the foundation for what evolved into a truly magnificent collection of the rarest and most important early half eagle varieties.\u201d<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

Imhof adds:
\n\u201cAny list of the most notable early half eagles would include most of the lots offered here. This collection is inarguably one of the finest in numismatic history and will be referenced for generations alongside the Harry Bass Collection.\u201d<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

Highlights from the Jacobson Collection<\/h2>\n\n

1795 BD-13 Heraldic Eagle Half Eagle, Unique<\/h3>\n
\"1795
1795 $5 Large Eagle, BD-13, High R.8, MS62 PCGS<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

One of the most celebrated pieces in the collection is the 1795 BD-13 Heraldic Eagle Half Eagle, graded MS62 PCGS<\/a><\/span> (HBJ-207)<\/strong>. This coin is unique, a distinction that places it among the most important early U.S. gold discoveries ever made.<\/p>\n

The coin was featured in \u201cElusive Half Eagle Varieties, A Collection of Early Examples\u201d<\/strong> by Harvey Jacobson and Heritage Senior Numismatist Mark R. Borckardt, published in the August 2019 issue of The Numismatist.<\/p>\n

Renowned researcher Doug Winter<\/strong> described it as:<\/p>\n

\u201cOne of the very few early gold varieties that is unique\u2026 a true testament to the numismatic significance of the Jacobson Collection.\u201d<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

1797 BD-4 Half Eagle \u2014 Plate Coin<\/h3>\n
\"1797
1797 $5 Small Eagle, 16 Stars, BD-4, High R.8, AU58+ PCGS<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Also offered is the 1797 BD-4 Half Eagle, graded AU58+ PCGS<\/a><\/span> (HBJ-209)<\/strong>. This historic coin is illustrated on PCGS CoinFacts and serves as the plate coin in Early U.S. Gold Coin Varieties, A Study of Die States 1795\u20131834 by John Dannreuther.<\/p>\n

First appearing in the George D. Woodside Collection, the coin has passed through several landmark collections. The winning bidder will become just the sixth owner since the 1860s, underscoring its extraordinary provenance.<\/p>\n

1819 $5 BD Unlisted (BD-3) \u2014 Major Discovery<\/h3>\n

Among the most intriguing offerings is an 1819 \u201cBD-3\u201d Half Eagle, graded AU Details by NCS<\/a><\/span> (HBJ-252)<\/strong>. This R.8 rarity is a significant discovery coin not recorded in the Bass\u2013Dannreuther reference.<\/p>\n

Heritage\u2019s Mark Borckardt identified the variety in March 2014, though early numismatist Edgar Adams may have noted it decades earlier. Adams\u2019 half eagle research ceased at 1800, and his notebooks remain inaccessible, making this coin one of the most compelling modern discoveries in the series.<\/p>\n

1825\/4\/1 Half Eagle BD-3 \u2014 Probably Unique<\/h3>\n
\"1825
1825 $5 5 Over Partial 4, BD-3, R.8, MS61 NGC. HBJ-259<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The collection also features the 1825\/4\/1 Half Eagle, BD-3, graded MS61 NGC<\/a><\/span> (HBJ-259)<\/strong>. Doug Winter called this coin a \u201cprobably unique variety\u201d and noted it was one of Harvey Jacobson\u2019s favorite coins in the set.<\/p>\n

This is the discovery coin for the variety and the only example known to Heritage Auctions. Its die-linkage confirms long-standing theories about early Mint die usage, demonstrating that reverse dies were reused across years, even when previously thought unused for certain emissions.<\/p>\n

The discovery definitively answers a long-standing question posed by researchers, including Dannreuther, regarding the Mint\u2019s practices in 1825.<\/p>\n

<\/h3>\n

1834 BD-4 Half Eagle \u2013 The \u201cKing of Fat Head Fives\u201d<\/h3>\n
\"1834
1834 $5 With Motto, Crosslet 4, BD-4, High R.8, MS64+ PCGS. CAC<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Rounding out the highlights is the legendary 1834 BD-4 Half Eagle, graded MS64+ PCGS, CAC<\/a><\/span> (HBJ-268)<\/strong>, widely known as the \u201cKing of Fat Head Fives.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n

This coin is:<\/h4>\n