|
Sale 69
|
|
press UP arrow key to increase the zoom ratio.
press DOWN arrow key to decrease the zoom ratio.
press RIGHT arrow key to increase the zoom window size.
press LEFT arrow key to decrease the zoom window size.
|
|
Lot 1273
1796 B-3, BB-62 Small Date Small Letters Rarity 8. PCGS graded Fine-15 PQ. Subset of PCGS # 6859. In a new secure plus holder. This coin was previously graded VF25 by NGC. Condition Census. This piece is one of two BB-62 examples known to exist. This uses the obverse having made the transition to Die State III of 1796 BB-61. The stars are small and the last two or three are spidery. Curl on top of the head defective. Relapping removed part of Liberty's top curl, and some of the part of the stars in lower relief, making them appear smaller. This obverse was used to strike 1796 BB-61 (early state) and BB-62 (late state).
BB-62’s reverse (described in the Bowers encyclopedia under 1795 BB-51), has a Small Eagle. Small Letters in legend combination. The eagle stands on clouds, while below and to the sides, the wreath is composed of a palm branch (right) and olive branch (left), the latter with seven berries. A short, prominent die scratch extends up to left from tip of right, inside leaf below (observer's) left wing. Berry under A of STATES; a quick way to identify this reverse.
"Bolender reported that some letters were bifurcated on examples he had seen of 1796 B-3 [BB-62], and thought this meant that the die had been "touched up" (however, bifurcation is an idiosyncrasy of striking, and has nothing to do with the die variety or state)," explains Bowers.
Reverse die used to strike 1795 BB-51; 1796 BB-62, BB-63, and BB-66 (now relapped); 1797 BB-72; and 1798 BB-81.
Bolender wrote this in 1950: "While many 1796 dollars have been listed as [B-3; BB-62], this has been erroneously done. I have purchased a dozen or more [B-3; BB-62], every one of them wrongly attributed. Only three specimens are known to me."
The rarity of 1796 BB-62 approaches legendary proportions. In fact, it has kept out of sight so well that many specialists have never seen an example. The fifth revised edition (1988) of Bolender's The United States Early Silver Dollars noted the following: "Most experts now question whether this variety actually exists."
In a conversation, Jules Reiver related that over the years a dozen or more 1796 "Bolender-3" dollars have been offered to him, but without exception they were all misattributed." I don't believe that B3 [BB-62] exists," he concluded. Pop 1; none finer at PCGS for the variety.
Estimated Value $45,000 - 50,000.
The Dr. Hesselgesser Collection.
|
| |
| Realized $60,000 |
|
