Lot 884
1798 Large Eagle B-3, BB-94 Rarity 5. PCGS graded AU-50. Was previously in an NGC AU55 holder. A lovely example exhibiting golden shades and a touch of blue-green hues about the border. What an astonishing, full-featured example this is, of the best possible quality for its high-end AU50 grade, a coin whose lovely medium gray surfaces play host to robust detail, smooth, mar-free beauty, and exceptional strike on the stars, rims, and all main devices.
Knob 9 in date. This obverse is paired with Reverse E: Star distant from eagle's beak; ray of that star points to I in PLURIBUS. Arc star pattern. Three stars on left between eagle's beak and clouds form a right triangle with the hypotenuse parallel (more or less) to the top of the eagle's wing. Leaf points to space between I and R in AMERICA. Berry distant from and under left foot of A. Stem of branch curves outward. Reverse die used to strike 1798 BB-94 (earliest state), BB-95 (intermediate state), and BB-102 (final state).
In the context of 1798 Heraldic Eagle dollars, BB-94 is one of the rarer varieties. Probably, somewhat over 150 are known, most of which are in lower grades up through Very Fine. At the EF level, BB-94 is rare, and higher grade pieces are rarer still. The only Uncirculated piece is that in the Bolender Collection, 1952, since untraced; the grade equivalent of this coin today is not known (PCGS # 6873) .
Estimated Value $9,000 - 10,000.
|
| |
| Realized $10,350 |
