Do you mean you've never seen AU58+? Or never seen it on this specific coin? For the 1795 $5, PCGS pop report shows AU53+, AU55+, and AU58+. PCGS says ""Plus Grades" exhibit exceptional eye appeal for the grade and constitute the top 30% of the coins in the grade." I've seen AU58+ with a CAC sticker, which amuses me. Here's a link to the auction https://coins.ha.com/itm/early-half.../1359-4536.s?ic4=GalleryView-Thumbnail-071515
There are quite a few AU58 on Heritage with gold CAC. Didn't see any AU58+ though. Which is funny in itself - if an AU58 gets a gold sticker, then which MS grade is it really? Kind of off topic though.
I see an estimate of 40-50 known 1797 $5, but no explanation for what happened to the rest of them. Melted I suppose.
Most early (pre-1834) gold ended up in the melting pot. These coins were worth more than face value when they were struck, and likewise traded as bullion. The US Mint continued to use a 15-to-1 silver to gold ratio as the global standard became 16-to-1 over time. By 1834, a $5 gold piece had $5.25 in gold in it - and 25 cents back then was a non-insignificant amount of money with the purchasing power of about $10 now. There are half eagles of which tens of thousands were minted and only a couple dozen survived.
It'll 64 or better. On a real bad day, 63, but then the 58 would have imperfections, like scarring or seriously muted luster.
