Lot 1152
1797 Draped Bust Dollar. 9 stars left, 7 right, large letters. PCGS graded AU-53. Here is a spectacular error on a high grade 1797 dollar. Not only is the entire coin double struck, but the surfaces show very little wear, and substantial breast feathers remain on the eagle. As to the double striking feature, all design elements show doubling on the obverse and reverse, and the second strike expended most of its energy canceling the first strike, with many areas nearly obliterated, and other areas where the devices are quite bold. All lettering, the date, Liberty, the eagle's wings, head and even eye are all clearly doubled, with just enough of a shift to make it really stand out. The stars are a wonder, showing many extra points and odd shapes. A coin that must be seen to be fully appreciated. When this mint error last auctioned in 1997, Mark Borckardt mentioned that it might even be triple struck, which is entirely possible as the devices show many fragments from the prior strike or strikes. There is a small edge flaw near the bust tip on the obverse, and this will help identify this coin in the future. Lightly cleaned long ago, with faint hairlines, and now toned a lustrous golden gray color.
Estimated Value $8,000 - 12,000.
From Bowers and Merena's Sale, November 1997, lot 1012 to Jim Matthews and purchased privately by John Haugh.
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| Realized $23,000 |
