1795 $1 Draped Bust, Off-Center MS(PCGS#96858)

December 2020 U.S. Coins Auction

拍卖行

Stack's Bowers

批号

1091

等级

MS64

价格

865,151

详细说明

Condition Census 1795 Draped Bust Dollar BB-51 Off-Center Bust Variety 1795 Draped Bust Silver Dollar. BB-51, B-14. Rarity-2. Off-Center Bust. MS-64 (PCGS). A truly memorable example that ranks high in the Condition Census for the Off-Center Bust variety of the popular first year 1795 Draped Bust dollar. Both sides display warm pearl gray patina with splashes of iridescent rose-russet, pinkish-apricot and, to a lesser extent, cobalt blue toning. The surfaces are also awash in full satin mint luster. The obverse exhibits a concentration of adjustment marks from the border at the letters LIB in LIBERTY into Liberty's hair. Fainter adjustment marks are found along the obverse border from 12 to 3 o'clock, although the reverse is free of these. Adjustment marks are as made and were commonly used by early U.S. Mint employees to bring overweight silver and gold planchets down to the statutory level. The presence of these features has resulted in somewhat soft striking detail at stars 11 to 12 and the letters LIB in LIBERTY, but otherwise we note impressively sharp definition throughout much of the design. Liberty's portrait and the eagle are particularly well executed with even most of the intricate design elements crisp. A beautiful and exceptionally well preserved example that will delight both high grade type collectors and advanced early dollar enthusiasts. When Henry William DeSaussure became Mint Director in June of 1795, he set two goals: to get gold coins to actively circulate and to improve the appearance of each denomination, with particular attention to the silver coinage. DeSaussure contracted with famed portrait artist Gilbert Stuart to prepare a depiction of Liberty to replace Robert Scot's Flowing Hair bust. Stuart's design was then transferred into plaster models and punches by John Eckstein for Scot. Eckstein also prepared improved versions of the Small Eagle reverse punches that showed the eagle in intricate detail and style. For this work Eckstein was paid $30 in September. The resulting Draped Bust, Small Eagle silver dollar is often heralded as a masterpiece from the early United States Mint. DeSaussure's tenure at the helm was very short, however; in October of that same year he resigned his position due in part to illness and general dissatisfaction. While only there for a few months, he made a long-lasting impression on the nation's coinage. While the Small Eagle reverse would only be employed until 1798, the Stuart/Eckstein Draped Bust was used for the rest of the series until coinage of silver dollars was suspended in 1804. Two different die combinations were used for the 1795 Draped Bust dollar. The die pair believed to have been struck first is the so-called Off-Center Bust variety, BB-51, which features Liberty appearing too far to the left from the center, a position used only on this die pair. This positioning was corrected to a more aesthetically pleasing centered location on the second variety, BB-52. The precise number struck and timing of each variety is unclear. Mint records from the time are not as thorough as scholars would like and much of what can be determined is conjecture. The commonly cited mintage figure of 42,738 is believed to be only a portion of the overall total for the 1795 Draped Bust dollar. Dave Bowers (2013) posits that somewhere in the vicinity of 100,000 coins were produced of both BB-51 and BB-52 varieties and that while the first deliveries likely took place in October, the later deliveries could have extended into 1796. In fact, the reverse die of BB-52 was used as late as 1798, lending credence to this being the later of the two varieties. BB-51 is the more plentiful of the two die marriages of this issue, and Bowers suggests that 1,400 to 2,000 coins are extant in all grades. With the typical survivor grading VF, however, even EF and AU coins are scarce and Mint State examples are rare. The Larry H. Miller specimen is included in the list of "Notable Specimens" in Dave Bowers' 2013 silver dollar encyclopedia, where it is tied for CC#3 with a few other MS-64s. Among our most significant offerings for both the issue and variety in recent memory, this impressive coin is sure to see spirited competition when bidding opens. Provenance: From the Larry H. Miller Collection. Earlier ex Heritage's sale of the Jack Lee Collection, III, November 2005 Dallas, TX Signature Auction, lot 2187. PCGS Population (Off-Center Bust variety only): 2; 3 finer (MS-66 finest). PCGS# 96858. NGC ID: 24X2. Click here for certification details from PCGS. Image with the PCGS TrueView logo is obtained from and is subject to a license agreement with Collectors Universe, Inc. and its divisions PCGS and PSA. Click here to see Coins in Motion. [“Coins]