1798 8 Over 7, 7X6 Stars

The 1798/7 Eagle with stars arranged seven left and six right is the scarcer of two documented overdates carrying the 1798 date. Both varieties were struck from a leftover 1797-dated obverse that the Mint reworked rather than scrapped, with an "8" punched directly over the original "7." The 7x6 arrangement (cataloged as Bass-Dannreuther 2) uses a different obverse die than the 9x4 stars version, and survives in noticeably smaller numbers. The combined 1798 mintage of 842 was split between the two dies, but published survival estimates put the 7x6 issue at roughly 20 to 30 known across all grades, while the 9x4 (BD-1) shows up two to three times more often.

Attribution starts with the obverse star count: seven points to the left of Liberty's portrait and six to the right. That arrangement alone separates this issue from BD-1, which carries nine and four. The overdate itself shows as visible remnants of a "7" tucked inside or behind the "8" in the date, best confirmed under five to ten power magnification. Authentic specimens weigh 17.50 grams on the early gold standard and carry a reeded edge. Faint parallel lines on the planchet are adjustment marks left by Mint workers filing overweight blanks down to specification, and they belong on the coin. The bigger counterfeit risk is cast copies, which often betray themselves at the edge with a soft seam or mushy reeding rather than crisp vertical milling.

Surviving examples concentrate in VF and XF, with a small group of AU coins and a handful of mint state pieces. Heritage sold an MS62 PCGS example in January 2023 for $1.11 million, illustrating how thin the upper end has become. Most collectors who pursue the issue accept circulated grades, where original surfaces and clean fields matter far more than sharpness. For series context, see the Draped Bust Eagle series history.