$5 Gold Eagle Collection: 1798 $5 Draped Bust Large 8, 13 Star Reverse

The 1798 $5 Gold Draped Bust Large 8, 13 Star Reverse is the most common pre-1800 Half Eagle. However, the 1798 Large 8, 13 Stars is rarer than any other date of this type from 1800-1807 excluding the 1806 Pointed 6.

This variety is known as the Large 8, 13 stars reverse. As you can see, the 8 appears larger than the rest of the numbers. If one looks at the reverse, they will find 13 stars, which is expected on these coins. However, there is also a 14-star variation. These stars were not meant to represent the states, as there were already 15 states at this time. Simply, the engraver added an additional star by accident when creating the die. So, with a mintage of 24,867, the Large 8, 13-star reverse is the more common variety. Typically, one sees this coin available in VF grades with uncirculated examples only being occasionally available.