Heritage World Coin Auctions
Long Beach Signature US Coin Sale 1252 16-17 Feb 2017
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Early Dollars
1798 $1 Small Eagle, 15 Stars, B-2, BB-81, R.3, XF40 PCGS. Bowers-Borckardt Die State II. A large mintage of 327,536 Draped Bust dollars was struck in 1798, but the great majority of those coins were examples of the new Heraldic Eagle reverse design. Only two varieties of the older Small Eagle reverse type are known today, one with 13 stars on the obverse and the other with 15 stars. This coin represents the BB-81 variety, the 15 stars variant, which is slightly scarcer than the 13 star BB-82. The 15 star obverse die may have been produced in 1795, as it follows the style of 1795-1796, with the final digit in the date left off and punched in later, when the die was pressed into service in 1798. The reverse die was definitely prepared in 1795, as it was used to produce the 1795-dated BB-51 variety. This was the only use of the obverse die, but the hardy reverse was used to strike five other varieties from 1795-1798.
The present coin is a lightly worn XF40 specimen, with distinct drapery and the hair well-outlined and detailed. The lightly abraded surfaces display silver-gray and blue-steel patina, with a few hints of golden-brown. An attractive specimen of this interesting issue, which is usually seen in lower grades and which some numismatists consider a one-year type coin. Population (for the variety): 2 in 40, 5 finer (1/17).
1798 $1 Small Eagle, 15 Stars, B-2, BB-81, R.3, XF40 PCGS. Bowers-Borckardt Die State II. A large mintage of 327,536 Draped Bust dollars was struck in 1798, but the great majority of those coins were examples of the new Heraldic Eagle reverse design. Only two varieties of the older Small Eagle reverse type are known today, one with 13 stars on the obverse and the other with 15 stars. This coin represents the BB-81 variety, the 15 stars variant, which is slightly scarcer than the 13 star BB-82. The 15 star obverse die may have been produced in 1795, as it follows the style of 1795-1796, with the final digit in the date left off and punched in later, when the die was pressed into service in 1798. The reverse die was definitely prepared in 1795, as it was used to produce the 1795-dated BB-51 variety. This was the only use of the obverse die, but the hardy reverse was used to strike five other varieties from 1795-1798.
The present coin is a lightly worn XF40 specimen, with distinct drapery and the hair well-outlined and detailed. The lightly abraded surfaces display silver-gray and blue-steel patina, with a few hints of golden-brown. An attractive specimen of this interesting issue, which is usually seen in lower grades and which some numismatists consider a one-year type coin. Population (for the variety): 2 in 40, 5 finer (1/17).