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1796 $1 Small Date, Large Letters MS61 NGC....
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Sold on Apr 30, 2009 for:
$69,000.00
Bid Source: Internet bidder
Description
Splendid 1796 Small Date, Large Letters Dollar
The Single Finest-Graded B-4, BB-61, MS61
1796 $1 Small Date, Large Letters MS61 NGC. Ex: Jules Reiver
Collection. B-4, BB-61, R.2. Small, wide date, 96 close, die dot
above 1; Berry under first T in STATES. Reiver Die State a.
Bowers-Borckardt Die State I. The Reiver plate coin for the
variety; both obverse and reverse. An outstanding Uncirculated
example of the Draped Bust, Small Eagle silver dollar, and one of
just a handful that survived in this lofty grade. The surfaces are
frosty and show unbroken luster in the fields and on most of the
devices. Liberty's curls show strong separation on all but a couple
of the highest and finest hair strands, which are weak. Most of the
breast feathers are sharp on the eagle too, as well as the finer
definition on the wing feathers. There are some crossing adjustment
marks on the reverse, primarily on the eagle (where they were not
quite struck over by the dies), and along the rims. These
adjustment marks are fairly light and not distracting to the
unaided eye, but can clearly be seen with a loupe. No rim problems
or surface disturbances, and this coin is a delight to view.From a die state perspective, this coin was struck very early in the life of the obverse and reverse die. Note that the curl on Liberty's head is sharp and complete and shows no sign of lapping of the die. Similarly, the lower curl nestled between the first two stars is sharp, and this curl is often lapped away to some degree, particularly on this die variety. The die dot over the 1 in the date is very sharp, and this may have been caused by a mispunched 1 or was simply a small defect in the die similar to the lump on the reverse of the B-5, BB-65 variety.
There are fewer than a dozen coins of this date which are the equal of or finer than the present example, as virtually every coin struck entered circulation and stayed there are least for a brief time. More importantly, the Small Date, Large Letters variety seen here is inexplicably hard to find in Uncirculated grades. Most of the surviving 1796 silver dollars in Mint State are the Large Date, Small Letters variety. In terms of availability, precisely the opposite would be expected. What really matters is that this particular coin is truly exceptional in quality. Somehow the present coin survived in excellent condition, with the desired mint frost surviving intact for over 200 years. Certainly high in the Condition Census for the variety; this splendid example is, in fact, the single finest-graded Small Date, Large Letters specimen at either service, as of (3/09). A memorable opportunity for the advanced specialist in early silver dollars.
From The Joseph C. Thomas Collection.(Registry values: P4)
Coin Index Numbers: (PCGS# 6860, GSID# 7151)
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: 12
Lot Tracking Activity: N/A
Page Views: 1,841
Buyer's Premium per Lot:
15% of the successful bid per lot.
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