The present variety, which is further identified as Taraszka-16 and Breen 3-A had an estimated mintage of just 500 to 1,000 pieces. The obverse die, which was also used on BD-5, is identified by star 9, touching the Y in LIBERTY, and star 13 away from the bust. The reverse, which had previously been used with all die pairings for 1799 eagles, only has some minor differences to other dies used this year, most notably the O in OF centered over the right part of the cloud directly under it. This die was retired after the use on this particular variety, and supposedly destroyed, like all early American dies.

The 1799 half eagle had a total mintage of 37,449 coins, and is one of the more popular dates within the series, as it is the last date with the coveted 17xx date in it. Examples are scarce in all date, and this appears to be one of the more difficult types of gold coinage to find for an advanced, uncirculated type set. Most examples that are still in existence have been cleaned over time, and finding truly original examples, in any grade, is very difficult. While this piece is more important for its variety than for the overall date, it would be the perfect coin for the collector of high grade, early, American gold coins.

Certified by PCGS in an older, green label holder, only some minor friction wear is noted on the highest points. Fresh and nearly full luster highlight both sides, with only some minor scattered marks noted in the fields itself. The strike is strong, with nearly all detail of Libertys hair and the Eagle still visible, making it a strong upgrade candidate, and very close or at AU-58 quality. Medium orange-gold, pleasing in hand, further highlight both sides. A great coin and a rare opportunity for the advanced specialist of these rare contemporaries of early America.