Lot 977
1799. B-15, BB-152, Rarity 3. PCGS graded MS-62. A very attractive piece with plenty of original mint luster. It is unusual to find a Mint State quality 1799 Bust Dollar. But when we do, this is how collectors wish it would look. Abundant frosty luster on both sides, of an especially satiny nature on the reverse, enough for this coin and seemingly another one, with luster to spare! The even silver bright surfaces show delicate and traces of toning here and there, mostly present in a band across the reverse. Nicely struck everywhere but the eagle's breast feathers and a few of the reverse stars which tend to be obscure; as pretty as a picture with only a few minor marks. Typical late die state with die breaks on both sides. We expect the coin will attract numerous collectors and prospective buyers who would find this fine piece highly satisfactory! Pop 20; 27 finer at PCGS. (PCGS # 6878) .
Historic Note: Following the transition made from the Small Eagle reverse to one with a Heraldic or Large Eagle in 1798, for calendar year 1799, the quantity of silver dollars minted reached an unprecedented 423,515 pieces. However, experts like Bowers (who produced the definitive encyclopedia of Silver Dollars) thought that many of these were dated 1798. As Bowers notes: "At the time, little attention was paid to the use of dies in the year they were dated. The net coinage of 1799-dated dollars amounted to an estimated 395,000 (within 10%). Some of these may have been minted in calendar year 1800."
Among the production of 1799-dated dollars were some coined from an obverse die overdated 1799/8. Curiously, these were not the first struck. In those days, the working dies for 1799 dollars were prepared as follows:
For the obverse dies: The bust of Liberty was punched into the die, after which the letters of LIBERTY, the stars, and the digits in 1799 were all added with individual punches. There were two sets of numeral punches used, each with Pointed 9, one has a narrow 7 and with spur at bottom of top curve of 9. A later style has a wider 7 and without a spur at bottom of top curve of 9.
For the reverse dies: The Heraldic Eagle motif was punched into the master die. The master die included the eagle, clouds above the eagle, the upper part of the olive branch, olive leaves, and arrows. (Earlier, arrow details were added by hand, but in 1799 they were punched as a group, and are thus similar from coin to coin, unlike the situation in 1798). Working dies were copied from this master die. Added separately to the working die were the letters of UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, the stars above the eagle, the lower part of the olive branch, and the berries. Hence, the wide variance in these features which delineate the various Die Varieties for 1799 (and later dates).
Estimated Value $35,000 - 40,000.
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