1810 Small Date, Tall 5

The 1810 Capped Bust Half Eagle issue was struck from a combined mintage of roughly 100,287 pieces and survives today in four distinct die marriages: Large Date with Large 5, Large Date with Small 5, Small Date with Small 5, and the Small Date with Tall 5 documented here. Specialists track each pairing separately because they reflect different obverse and reverse punches used during a single calendar year, with dies prepared individually and combined as production demanded. The Small Date / Tall 5 sits between the more frequently encountered Large Date marriages and the scarcer Small Date / Small 5, drawing collectors who want a representative John Reich design without chasing the rarest variety. Most known examples grade in the lower circulated tiers, with mint-state pieces appearing only occasionally at major auction.

Correct attribution requires two paired diagnostics. The obverse must show the Small Date logotype, where the numerals are noticeably smaller and more compressed than the Large Date punches used on the same year's coinage; comparison with a confirmed Small Date image is the standard approach. The reverse must pair that obverse with the Tall 5 denomination punch, distinguished by an elongated upper portion of the figure 5 in the value. Authentic examples weigh 8.75 grams, measure approximately 25.0 mm in diameter, and are struck in 0.9167 fine gold; significant deviation from the weight standard is the first warning sign of a contemporary counterfeit or a modern struck copy. Reeded edges should be even in count and depth, and the coin alignment runs reverse-rotated, consistent with all federal gold of the period.

Modern collectors treat this variety as an attribution challenge as much as a date acquisition. Pricing for the Small Date / Tall 5 generally tracks slightly above the common Large Date pairings in matched grade, with the spread widening at the upper end of the scale where original surfaces become scarce. Heritage and Stack's Bowers archives are the most reliable source for grade-by-grade pricing context, since population reports lag actual market behavior on early gold. Buyers should prioritize problem-free coins certified by PCGS or NGC and confirm the variety attribution on the holder, since some older slabs list only the date. For background on the broader design, see our Capped Bust Half Eagle series history.