1795 $1 Flowing Hair, BB-18 MS66 认证号31529964, PCGS号39973

Provenance: Catherine Bullowa Collection, by purchase, 1965; Catherine Bullowa's (Coinhunter) sale of December 2005, lot 393.

Ron Guth

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Ron Guth

Bowers-Borckardt 18, Bolender-7, Haseltine-7.

Obverse 4: Flowing hair in six curls. The lowest curl is very small and perfect, and touches the innermost point of star 1, as it continues to nearly complete a loop. Curl end is close to and extends toward innermost point on star 2. Last star partly under bust, but not as far under as BB-11, and not quite as close, but it is near. (Note: In BB-14 the last star is entirely under bust). Wide date, most space between 1 and 7.

This obverse die was used to strike 1795 BB-16, BB-17, and BB-18.

Reverse F: Three leaves under each wing. The only 14-berry variety. Seven berries on each branch. There is only one berry on left branch of wreath between eagle's wing and ribbon bow, and it is on the inside of wreath. Two berries below the D in UNITED. Conspicuous die flaws at the end of the left ribbon. E in AMERICA double punched at top.

This reverse die was used to strike 1795 BB-18 and BB-19.

Die States:
Die State I: Die flaws or stray marks at the end of the left ribbon; these are in the form of two tiny extensions to the ribbon, with the extension on the left being the larger of the two. The state usually seen.

Die State II: As preceding, but the smaller of the two flaws -- the one on the right side of the left ribbon end -- is now gone, either from die wear or light relapping. Much scarcer than preceding.

Collecting notes: This variety exists with silver plug at center.

1795 BB-18 is one of the more available varieties of the year, but is hard to find in higher grades. Probably, about 500 to 800 survive. In his 1881 Type-Table, J.W. Haseltine called this variety very rare. By 1950, M.H. Bolender played the rarity down to the R-4 level, which, if the Sheldon Scale was intended, meant that Bolender felt that somewhere between 76 and 200 were known. Since then, many more have been identified.

The Photographic Department of Bowers and Merena Galleries had 16 different specimens go through its hands from 1984 to 1992 -- hardly a situation which bespeaks rarity. Over the years, 1795 BB-18 has been readily available at auction, and many more have been shipped from dealers' inventories.

Inasmuch as an Uncirculated specimen of BB-18 appeared in the Lord St. Oswald Collection as part of a group of coins acquired in American in autumn 1795, it is certain that BB-18 was actually struck in 1795.

Adapted from "Silver Dollars And Trade Dollars Of The United States - A Complete Encyclopedia" by Q. David Bowers.