LOT #2533 |
Sold on Apr 30, 2009 for: $276,000.00
1795 $1 Flowing Hair, Two Leaves MS65 NGC....
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Sold on Apr 30, 2009 for:
$276,000.00
Bid Source: Live: Floor bidder
Description
Remarkable 1795 Flowing Hair Dollar, MS65
B-1, BB-21, One of the Finest Examples Known
1795 $1 Flowing Hair, Two Leaves MS65 NGC. B-1, BB-21, R.1.
One of the finest known of this date and type. A remarkable coin
that any numismatist will appreciate for the lustrous fields and
exceptional surfaces. The strike is fairly sharp for this variety,
although we note some softness on the upper curls of Liberty and on
the eagle's breast feathers. There are no disturbing adjustment
marks or nicks worthy of note, and it is simply amazing that any
Flowing Hair silver dollar could still look this nice after 214
years. We note light gold over most of the surfaces, with darker
flecks of gold adhering to the devices which seems to set them off
from the brilliant fields. Both dies show minor clash marks in the
fields, with the eagle's wings are evident on the obverse, and
portions of Liberty's curls are found left of the eagle's breast.
Darker gold hues are found on the high points of the design, and
these also give the present example a regal appearance. The
centering is virtually perfect, and the quality of manufacture is
simply as good as one could hope to find in a Flowing Hair
dollar.Recall that the new dollar coining press was set up in 1795, and the current flowing hair design required more press power than was available to really bring up all the finer details of these dies. Late in 1795 the designs of the coins were changed, not because of the striking issues, but because people didn't like the flowing hair rendering of Liberty. The design change was authorized and the Philadelphia Mint engaged the famous portrait artist Gilbert Stuart to redesign the silver dollar. Stuart's drawings of Liberty are thought to have come from a portrait of Ann Willing, a Philadelphia socialite, and one of the most beautiful women in that city. Liberty was given a hair ribbon to tie some of her hair behind her head, and draped in a lovely gown. The eagle on the reverse was framed within a wreath of palm and olive branches, and given a smaller, more compact appearance. These new designs were a hit, and were quickly adopted on all United States silver coinage (obverse and reverse) and copper coinage (reverse). After a few more years in 1798 the Small Eagle reverse design was replaced with a new reverse style which was loosely copied from the Great Seal of the United States by Mint Engraver Robert Scot. Therefore, this Flowing Hair 1795 silver dollar became a short-lived type coin, and today remains one of the most popular of all Bust dollar designs. The free flowing hair of Liberty and the proud eagle with outstretched wings symbolize the newfound freedom enjoyed by the new United States of America, and this coin seems to capture that fleeting moment in our history when our country was yet so young. Liberty's upward gaze is filled with hope, and her youthful exuberance is wonderfully captured by the early mint engraver. For the collector, the present coin represents one of the finest examples of this entire type to survive.
From The Joseph C. Thomas Collection.(Registry values: P4)
Coin Index Numbers: (NGC ID# BNJK, PCGS# 6853, GSID# 7147)
Metal: 89.24% Silver, 10.76% Copper
Weight: 26.96 grams
ASW: 0.85oz
View all of [The Joseph C. Thomas Collection, Part Two ]
Auction Info
2009 April-May Cincinnati, OH (CSNS) US Coin Auction #1124 (go to Auction Home page)
Auction Dates
Apr-May, 2009
29th-3rd
Wednesday-Sunday
Bids + Registered Phone Bidders: 20
Lot Tracking Activity: N/A
Page Views: 9,776
Buyer's Premium per Lot:
15% of the successful bid per lot.
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