1799/8 $1 15 Reverse Stars MS(PCGS#6883)

November 2017 Baltimore U.S. Coins Auction

拍卖行

Stack's Bowers

批号

3226

等级

AU55

价格

47,734

详细说明

1799/8 Draped Bust Silver Dollar. BB-141, B-3. Rarity-3. 15-Star Reverse. AU-55 (NGC). Boldly to sharply defined from a nicely centered strike, this lovely Choice AU also retains ample satin luster beneath warm, even toning. Direct lighting calls forth iridescent undertones of golden-apricot and powder blue that further enhance already strong eye appeal. 1799 was a very busy year at the Philadelphia Mint for silver dollar production. Some 400,000 coins were struck from 22 die pairs that year, three of which bear the 1799/8 overdate. The most fascinating and popular of these overdate varieties is the BB-141 combination, which has quite a tale to tell. The obverse die bearing the 1798 date was prepared but was not used, so the date was recut to 1799, though remnants of the 8 remain visible. In addition, the reverse die of BB-141 die is a study in diecutter improvisation and adaptation. When the engraver was entering the stars, he elected to put one arc of seven stars, then a second arc of six stars, then flanked the eagle with two more stars, rendering 15 stars all told on the reverse, two too many. Realizing this and because die steel was at a premium, the diecutter tried to correct the mistake by drastically enlarging the leftmost and rightmost clouds in an attempt to cover up the extraneous stars. This adaptation did not fully hide the two stars so that they remain partially visible. The die nonetheless entered service and a sizable quantity of silver dollars were made with this die pairing. Thanks in no small part to speculators buying up as many silver dollars and selling them overseas at a profit, perhaps between 700 and 1,200 pieces survive, mostly in the middle to higher circulated grade levels. This die pair becomes a notable condition rarity at the AU level and above. The expert preservation and original patina of the offered coin make this a desirable example for discriminating silver dollar connoisseurs. PCGS# 6883. NGC ID: 24X8.