1796 $1 BB-65, Large Date, Small Letters MS(PCGS#40002)

November 2021 Baltimore U.S. Coins auction

拍卖行

Stack's Bowers

批号

4045

等级

AU58

价格

282,878

详细说明

Exceptional Near-Mint 1796 BB-65 Dollar 1796 Draped Bust Silver Dollar. BB-65, B-5. Rarity-4. Large Date, Small Letters. AU-58 (NGC). A richly toned example dressed in a bold blend of steel and pewter gray patina. Direct lighting calls forth vivid undertones of champagne-pink and gold, especially in and around the centers. The strike is superior for a product of the fledgling United States Mint, the impression ideally centered, the borders uniformly denticulated around both sides, and all design elements boldly to sharply rendered. A smooth, soft satin texture rounds out an impressive list of physical attributes for this inviting early dollar. BB Die State II. The year of the death of the first mint director, David Rittenhouse, and the year of John Adams' election to the presidency, some 72,920 silver dollars were struck according to mint records in calendar year 1796. This number appears to be congruent with most estimates of the actual number of coins produced bearing the 1796 date. Coined from six known die pairs, this is a significant drop from the previous year. One of the more distinctive varieties is the Bowers Borckardt-65 die marriage. Both the obverse and reverse dies saw use exclusively in this marriage. While not immediately obvious, close examination reveals that the digit 6 in the date is clearly repunched. All told, three reverse dies were prepared with small letters, with the die used here the final such one put into service. Q. David Bowers suggests that this die is more in keeping with earlier issues and may actually have been prepared in 1795. Early on in its use, a chunk of metal in the reverse die between the letters I and C in AMERICA fell out, causing a large lump to form on the coins once struck. This lump expanded significantly as the die continued in use and is an easy diagnostic for identifying the BB-65 variety. While theorized to exist, no examples of 1796 dollars struck from the BB-65 die pair are known without this lump. The second most available of 1796 dollars behind only the BB-61 die marriage, most of the estimated 800 to 1,400 examples are found in mid-level circulated grades. At the AU level and above, challenging becomes the operative word to describe locating choice examples. Bowers (2013) includes just four About Uncirculated coins in his listing of "Notable Specimens," including neither the present example nor any graded AU-58. Clearly this is a coin of immense appeal, and one that is certain to sell for a strong bid to an astute early dollar enthusiast. PCGS# 6861. NGC ID: 24X3. Click here for certification details from NGC. Click here to see Coins in Motion.[“Coins]