Goldberg Coins and Collectibles

Sale 4

The Dr. Jon Kardatzke Coin and Currency Collection, Part 1

Early Silver Dollars

Lot	Photo	Description	Realized
Lot 1369		1795 Flowing Hair Dollar. Two leaves beneath each wing. PCGS graded VG-8. One of the most common varieties of all bust dollars, the 1795 B-5 flowing hair is found in abundance. This one is toned with dark colors in the fields and lighter silver on the devices. Moderate wear on the devices. Problem-free wear, no adjustment marks or rim bumps. Perfect for the type collector who needs a moderate grade coin. View details	Realized $805
Lot 1370		1795 Flowing Hair Dollar. Two leaves beneath each wing. Sharpness of VG-8 but holed at E of LIBERTY. The E has been re-engraved and the area below the wreath bow also shows tooling. Darkly toned in the fields, with lighter silver on the devices. A scarce die variety that shows obverse clash marks from the eagle's wings around Liberty's head. View details	Realized $633
Lot 1371		1795 Flowing Hair Dollar. Three leaves beneath each wing. PCGS graded VG-10. A moderate coin for the grade, even wear and always in demand. View details	Realized $920
Lot 1372		1795 Draped Bust Dollar. Off-center bust. PCGS graded VF-35. A lovely coin for the grade, the obverse is toned a rose hue, with electric blue highlights near the devices, similar and more blues on the reverse. One rim mark on the lower reverse. Free of adjustment marks or other problems. Struck from a reverse die which was used to strike 1795 through 1798 dollars, with no less than six different obverse dies over the four years. View details	Realized $2,645
Lot 1373		1796 Draped Bust Dollar. Small date, small letters. Fine-15. Cleaned and retoned with a dark halo ring around the stars, lighter at the edge and centers. The reverse more balanced in color. A few adjustment marks are visible around the obverse periphery. Small date, large letters reverse combination. View details	Realized $1,093
Lot 1374		1796 Draped Bust Dollar. Small date, small letters. Sharpness of Fine-12 but holed and repaired. The repair work is carefully done, and little evidence remains on the obverse, but the all too familiar "circle" on the lower reverse gives the repair away. Harshly cleaned and carefully retoned. Perfectly centered and well struck, and around the left reverse rim are minor adjustment marks. View details	Realized $661
Lot 1375		1796 Draped Bust Dollar. Small date, small letters. VG-8. Smooth, even wear throughout, with a bit of weakness on the right obverse and reverse from being struck a touch off-center. Lightly cleaned and a bit too bright today, but retoning. Popular for the small date, large letter combination. View details	Realized $748
Lot 1376		1797 Draped Bust Dollar. 10 stars left, 6 right. PCGS graded VF-20. A nice, original coin for the grade. The central hair is not too well struck, and the coin has surfaces usually seen on a higher grade coin. Minor adjustment marks, but no handling marks worthy of note. View details	Realized $1,495
Lot 1377		1798 Draped Bust Dollar. Small eagle reverse, 15 stars on obverse. VF-30. Splendid original gray toning throughout, with smooth surfaces. There are two very tiny rim ticks, one near the third obverse star, the other on the reverse between the ME of AMERICA. A glass will note a few minor adjustment marks on the obverse, but they are not deep or readily visible to the naked eye. A curious die variety, apparently made from an obverse which was prepared in 1795-6 and then not used, as that was the only time when 15 stars would have been appropriate. Perhaps the date hadn't been punched in the die, as no evidence of an underlying 5 or 6 is present. Furthermore, this leftover obverse was paired with the leftover small eagle reverse die, while the style had been changed to the new heraldic eagle in early 1798. As such, it has long been believed that this die combination was one of the first group of coins made in 1798, as new dies were being prepared with the new reverse style, and thirteen stars to represent the original thirteen colonies, rather than adding a star every time a state joined the union. Seldom found much better, this coin will satisfy most collectors. View details	Realized $3,335
Lot 1378		1798 Draped Bust Dollar. Large eagle reverse. EF-40. Cleaned and retoned to a dark gray in the fields, lighter on the devices. Clean fields, rims and devices for the grade, and an average coin for the grade. Popular for the knobbed 6 variety. View details	Realized $2,185
Lot 1379		1798 Draped Bust Dollar. Large eagle reverse. Fine-15. Moderate wear and no significant surface problems. Toned an even dark gray throughout. View details	Realized $679
Lot 1380		1798 Draped Bust Dollar. Large eagle reverse. VF-35. Toned with deep blues and gray on the obverse, a bit lighter on the reverse. One rim bump on the right reverse, and a smaller one on the right obverse. Retoned in appearance, and could be improved. View details	Realized $891
Lot 1381		1799/8 Draped Bust Dollar. Reverse with 15 stars. VF-30. Although there are 3 varieties of 1799/8 silver dollars, they were all struck with the same obverse and three different reverse dies. On this combination, there is a die crack through the D of UNITED, and it happens to be the scarcest of the three overdate varieties. Toned a natural medium gray on both sides, this coin will please any collector. View details	Realized $863
Lot 1382		1800 Draped Bust Dollar. EF-45. Choice for the grade, the fields are somewhat reflective and show luster. The devices are well struck on the obverse, but weaker on the reverse, especially on the eagle's wings. Lightly toned around the periphery with golden hues. A scarce variety in very high grade. No adjustment marks or rim problems. View details	Realized $2,645
Lot 1383		1800 Draped Bust Dollar. "Dotted date" from die breaks. VF-30. One of the most quickly recognizable varieties, the obverse die was improperly made and several bubbles were in the die steel. As coinage began, the bubbles quickly collapsed leaving raised lumps around the first 0 of the date. No one seemed to care, as many more coins were struck using this die, and it remains fairly common in most grades. Toned a medium gray and very original in appearance, free of annoying marks or cleaning lines. View details	Realized $1,035
Lot 1384		1800 Draped Bust Dollar. EF-40. Lightly cleaned and starting to retone on the upper obverse and lower reverse. Some luster remains in the lettering and devices. Scarce as a late die state, the obverse has several minor die cracks and shows a clear clash mark over Liberty's chest from the eagle's wing. Well struck. View details	Realized $1,438
Lot 1385		1801 Draped Bust Dollar. EF-45. Retoned to a dull rose and gray color. Boldly struck, and nearly full separation on Liberty's curls, which is quite an event for an 1801. The reverse strike is a touch weak on the eagle's wing. No surface problems noted, just very odd color. View details	Realized $3,680
Lot 1386		1801 Draped Bust Dollar. VF-30. We've seen "dappled" surfaces, but this is dappled! It's old-silver color of mixed grays. Beneath, the surfaces show some ancient cleaning (this may well have been an Economite Hoard coin, from the 19th century in Pennsylvania). Yet the surfaces are remarkably free from marks or other problems. View details	Realized $1,208
Lot 1387		1802/1 Draped Bust Dollar. Narrow date. Sharpness of EF-40 but holed and repaired. The repair is located at BE of LIBERTY, and the reverse shows evidence of work around the eagle's tail, but it is nicely done and not readily apparent. It appears that the surfaces have been bathed in an abrasive, as they have a pickled look, which is too bad as this coin shows very little actual wear. Retoned with golden wisps around the periphery, lighter at the centers. Mint-caused adjustment marks in the star field above the eagle. Worth inspecting, as this coin offers a lot for what will probably be a nominal price. View details	Realized $1,150
Lot 1388		1802 Draped Bust Dollar. Wide normal date. PCGS graded AU-50. Another oldtimer from the Kardatzke Collection exhibiting pretty, even golden gray toning (a hint of blue obverse at 2 o'clock and a splash of the same deep blue iridescence on the bottom of reverse). Really pleasant as it does not have all the bumps and scratches usually seen on these early silver monsters. Buy it and we guarantee you won't want to part with it easily. View details	Realized $3,910
Lot 1389		1803 Draped Bust Dollar. Large 3. PCGS graded EF-40. B-6. R-3. Deep-set oldtime toning on this beauty of a Bust dollar. The dies are rotated slightly but that's about all we can find to complain about. Clean surfaces with tawny golden gray toning, a little sparkle here and there, and just a great look overall. Far cleaner than most dollars of this era, and of course a rather better date. View details	Realized $1,840
Lot 1390		1836 Gobrecht Dollar. Designer's name on base. Circulation issue. AU-50. One of 1,000 struck for circulation as the new style for all silver coinage. The obverse soon was modified to add stars, removing them from the reverse, and the eagle tired of flying so it was depicted perched on an unseen rock holding the olive branch of peace in its right claw, and the readiness of arrows for war in its left claw. This important pattern issue is far more graceful than the design as modified, the medallic appearance of Liberty alone with a small date beneath gives her a regal appearance, while the flying eagle possesses a majesty not seen when depicted sitting on a rock, or loaded down with branches and weaponry. The surfaces of this coin are delightful, they are smooth and unblemished by cleaning or mishandling, and sport a delicate gold tone around the periphery. Boldly struck and pleasing in every way. View details	Realized $7,015
Lot 1391		Gleaming Proof 1838 Gobrecht Dollar. PCGS graded Proof 63. J-84. Stark, silver mirrors offset the perfectly minted, crisp images of Peter the Mint Eagle (inspiration for this model) and Christian Gobrecht's original conception of Liberty seated upon the rock of America, with her shield of state and cap of freedom. The 13 orbs of the original states surround her like beacons. Poor Peter the Mints living eagle model, he was killed one day while perched haplessly upon a flywheel in the Coiner's Room at the old mint. He was stuffed and used to "fly" from a steel rod high on a wall at the Mint (the cataloguer once saw him there in the 1960s). That was Gobrecht's inspiration for this marvelous design, one of the greatest coins to come out of early America. The two images symbolically represented the highest aspirations of the young Nation. This coin is one of our national treasures. How many have been graded and where does this one fit in among them? Who cares? Really. This is a great coin. Go for it! View details	Realized $20,125
Lot 1392		Stunning 1839 Gobrecht Dollar. NGC graded Proof 64. J-104. Extremely rare, of course. But also extremely attractive. Swirling faint hairlines but these fade from the mind's eye as the cameos take hold and the gleaming of the intense silvery surfaces, that look like thick crystal, mesmerizes and flames one's desire to possess. Gobrecht himself should come back from the grave and marvel at how generations of collectors have saved this, one of his masterpieces, for those still unborn to someday enjoy. A treasure, no doubt about it! View details	Realized $21,275
Lot 1393		1839 Gobrecht Dollar. Designer's name omitted. Restrike. Proof 55 Light hairlines. J-104 with medal alignment of the dies. No Gobrecht dollar is ugly, for the design is too appealing. This one has been cleaned and shows harsh signs of that in its fields. The luster or mirrors are gone. Yet--yet, the design is so bold that you just have to kind of like it. You can see the fingernails on Liberty's fingers. You can count her toes. The rims are clean and the beading ("dentils") of both sides provide for an image centering that few coins have captured better. These are really nothing but the realities of Gobrecht's extraordinary design. And the eagle--we almost forgot the eagle. Good 'ole Peter, he is never better than on this dollar series (he was used again for the cents of 1856 to 1858, of course). His feathers are as detailed as a medieval French coat of chain-mail. His claws, nostril and eye are those of a fierce bird of prey. Gobrecht was saying that America, while still isolated from the "civilized" world of Europe, and flying into the wilderness of the unknown West over yonder, was a formidable force of nature, something to be both feared and respected. It's far from the best of Gobrecht's surviving images, yet its appeal remains evident even in this flawed state. View details	Realized $8,913