1797 Turban Head Gold $5 Half Eagle : 15 Stars Obverse - Unique - Smithsonian Collection

What This Coin Looks Like (Obverse, Reverse, Mint Mark Location, Special Features, etc.):

There were a few major varieties of the 1797 $5 Gold Half Eagle. The most common variety is the 1797/5 overdate. However: Two unique 1797 coins were struck with no overdate - One of them features 15 stars while the other features 16 stars on the obverse of the coin - only 1 of each coin was ever struck and both coins are held at the Smithsonian National Numismatic Collection.

The 15 Stars variety was stored in the Mint Cabinet for over 100 years. It wasn't recognized by numismatics and was even mis-attributed as a more common 1797/5 variety. It wasn't until 2002 that researcher Saul Teichman publically announced the discovery of this coin as a new variety. It is possible that other mis-attributed 1797 coins exist and may be ultra-rare and even unique.

The difference between the 15 Stars vs 16 Stars (Large Eagle) is depicted below in the example comparison image. Note that both of these unique coins do not have the 7 Over 5 overdate in the date:

Coin Value Chart: Typical Coin Prices, Values and Worth in USD based on Grade/Condition

Good (G-4)	Very Good (VG-8)	Fine (F-12)	Very Fine (VF-20)	Extremely Fine (EF-40)	About Uncirculated (AU-50)	Uncirculated (MS-60)	Uncirculated (MS-63)	Proof (PR-63)
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MELT VALUE: $689.50