1820 Curl Base 2, Small Letters

The 1820 half eagle is one of the more interesting dates in the Capped Head Left series because the Philadelphia Mint produced it from three distinct die marriages rather than a single working pairing. The combined emission of 263,806 pieces is split among the Curl Base 2 with Large Letters, the Curl Base 2 with Small Letters, and the Square Base 2. The Curl Base 2, Small Letters variety is generally considered scarcer than the Square Base 2 and is cataloged as BD-2 in the Bass-Dannreuther reference. It sits in the eighth year of John Reich's redesigned Capped Head Left half eagle, a denomination that was already drifting out of everyday domestic use as bullion values rose against the face value of the coin.

Variety attribution rests on two paired diagnostics. The first is the date itself: the lower terminus of the numeral 2 forms a soft curl rather than the squared, blocky base seen on the Square Base 2 dies. The second is the reverse, where the legends UNITED STATES OF AMERICA and the denomination 5 D. appear in the smaller of the two letter logotypes used that year. Both diagnostics must be present together, since a Curl Base 2 obverse can also be paired with the larger reverse letter style. Examination under magnification on a coin grading Fine or better is the practical standard. Specifications are uniform across all 1820 varieties: the coin weighs 8.75 grams, measures roughly 25.0 millimeters in diameter, and is struck in 0.9167 fine gold with a copper and silver alloy. The edge is reeded.

For modern collectors, the Curl Base 2, Small Letters trades at a premium over the more common 1820 dies and is most often pursued by die-marriage specialists rather than type collectors. Problem-free examples in About Uncirculated and finer grades are genuinely difficult to locate, and most surviving pieces fall in the Very Fine to Extremely Fine range with honest circulation wear. Buyers should weigh the coin to confirm it has not been polished or repaired, and should examine the date and reverse letters under good light before committing. Certified holders that name the variety on the label save considerable guesswork. For broader background on the design and the production timeline, see the Capped Bust Half Eagle series history.