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1794 Flowing Hair S$1 PCGS F15

Currency:USD Category:Coins & Paper Money / US Coins Start Price:30,000.00 USD Estimated At:60,000.00 - 80,000.00 USD
1794 Flowing Hair S$1 PCGS F15
In 1794, the mint did not have a coining press powerful enough to strike Dollar-size coins, the largest being used for Large Cents and Half Dollars. Therefore, this Half Dollar press had to be used to mint the first American Silver Dollars. It was soon revealed that it could not fully strike the design on the left side of the coin (the dies being slightly misaligned). Although the left hand stars and upper portion of the left side reverse letters are normally weakly impressed, they are completely visible to the naked eye.

[B-1, BB-1. This is an unmistakable 1794 Dollar. It has a prominent pedigree marker that is impossible to miss. It appears that a piece of bent wire, approximately 10 mm. long, that starts in the middle of Liberty's neck and terminates in the field just below the neck, fell between the die and the blank planchet, leaving a distinctive impression on the finished coin. This coin was unknown to the late Jack Collins. Jack spent decades researching 1794 Dollars and tracing their pedigrees. However, this coin has remained, until recently, in the collection of Cornelius Vermeule, noted author of Numismatic Art in America. It was purchased by Vermeule from Norman Stack in the late 1960s, while Mr. Vermeule was researching coin types with Mr. Stack for his landmark book.
The story of the 1794 is well known, but it always bears repeating. Only 1,758 pieces were struck, and it is believed that probably somewhere around 130 coins are extant today. Shortly after the first couple of pieces were struck, the dies slipped out of alignment, causing the date and first few stars on the left to be weakly defined (as well as the corresponding area on the reverse). This is especially noticeable on this piece, the weak definition from misaligned dies being coupled with considerable wear, causing just the tops of the digits in the date to be discernible. The surfaces are light gray overall with deeper gray accents in the recesses of the design and around the obverse periphery. Numerous small abrasions are scattered over each side, but none are worthy of individual mention.] (#6851)<p><i>The Gonzaga Collection</i>