Lot 2867
1798 Pointed 9 Close Date B-9, BB-121 Rarity 5. SEGS graded EF-40. Slightly misaligned dies. Excellent detail and lightly toned. We note a scratch in the left reverse field and a mark on the shield. Highly attractive toning. The rich antique gray fields provide an offset, as it were, for the lighter silver gray highlights of the raised devices. Large wide dentils along the left obverse, with narrowing of these along the right.
So-called "Amateur Diecutter's Reverse." Star distant from eagle's beak. Arc star pattern, but amateurishly executed, with the first star in the second row out of place and too high. This is the only 1798 reverse with this "sloppy" die work. Star distant from beak. Star ray points to top of I in PLURIBUS. Five small berries, the second and third from top are closest together. Bottom end of olive branch is long and needle like. Leaf points to lower right point of R in AMERICA. Either 12 or 13 arrows are present; two are very weak and appear to hold another stick between them; the two rightmost arrow shafts each have two heads (and thus count as four arrows), the third arrow shaft from the right is ghostlike (the three rightmost shafts are quite similar to those on the reverse used to coin BB-96, BB-101 and certain other reverses of the era). Reverse die used to strike 1798 BB-121 only.
According to the Bowers-Borckhardt reference, "1798 BB-121 has an estimated population of 300 to 500 pieces, enough that the specialist can find one with some searching…" Most specimens of BB-121 are seen in lower grade levels, however, with few noted in Extremely Fine and above. The variety becomes a rarity in AU grade and may be unknown in full Mint State, if today's strict grading interpretations are used.
Designs used: The year 1798 saw the number of obverse stars decreased from 16 (used in 1797) to 13, the number that remained in effect throughout the remainder of the series. An exception is provided by BB-81, with 15 stars, an anachronism created by using a leftover undated die prepared in 1795 or early 1796 (before the 16-star format became standard following the admission of Tennessee to the Union), and dating it 1798.
Estimated Value $3,200 - 3,500.
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