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Sale 59
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Lot 964
1795. Two Leaves. B-2, BB-20. Rarity 3. NGC graded MS-64. A brilliant untoned frosty white mint example. Some softeness in the centers as made on a problem free planchet.
Flowing hair in six prominent curls with the lowest curl pierced and separated by the innermost point of star 1, and the curl is continued upwards to almost close its loop. Wide date, the 95 closer together than the other figures. This obverse occurs on BB-19 and BB-20. The reverse has two leaves under each wing. A leaf ends directly below center of first S in STATES and another leaf ends just under left corner of upright of E in STATES. The wreath is delicate, leaves small, berries large. 19 berries arranged nine left, 10 right.
The Flowing Hair design was used on silver coinage in 1794 and 1795. The design is found on half dimes, half dollars, and silver dollars and displays a youthful Liberty facing right with free-flowing hair. (The subsequent Type would have a hair ribbon at the back.)
Since the Coinage Act of 1792 which established the standards for America's coinage has as its centerpiece the silver dollar, the edge lettering on these reads HUNDRED CENTS ONE DOLLAR OR UNIT. The value exists nowhere else on the coin.
Between spring and late summer that year, 17 die marriages of 1795 flowing hair dollars were prepared and used to strike silver dollars. Employed were two bust punches, two separate wreath punches, and two different eagle punches. The mint struck a fairly large number of dollars in 1795: 160,295 to be exact, of which several thousand (according to the Bowers reference book on bust dollars) are believe to survive.
The present specimen is remarkable for its fresh color and frosty surfaces on both sides. It sits squarely atop the assigned grade classification and has lovely silvery brightness. Any marks are held to a minimum. Better still, there appear to be no adjustment lines on either side, a noteworthy observation which qualifies for special mention. The satiny surfaces are aglow with silvery color, devices sharper than on some, but lacking completeness on the eagle's wings and chest feathers, which, as often occurs, is softly brought up. High grade flowing hair silver dollars are the dominant theme among serious, advanced early dollar collectors, with comparatively few Mint States sold in any calendar year. Bowers (1993) estimated only four to six pieces remain in MS64 or better grades. Look for this beautiful MS64 coin to realize a strong price after much spirited bidding. Pop 1, finest graded 2 leaves at NGC. The NGC population also breaks down the various varities and reports two BB-20 examples in 65.
Estimated Value $140,000 - 175,000.
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| Realized $172,500 |
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