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1795 S$1 Draped Bust, Off Center MS64 PCGS. B-14, BB-5 1795[S$1] Draped Bust, Off Center MS64 PCGS.

Currency:USD Category:Coins & Paper Money / US Coins Start Price:42,500.00 USD Estimated At:1.00 - 1,000,000.00 USD
1795 S$1 Draped Bust, Off Center MS64 PCGS. B-14, BB-5 1795[S$1] Draped Bust, Off Center MS64 PCGS.
<B>1795<S$1> Draped Bust, Off Center MS64 PCGS.</B></I> B-14, BB-51, R.3. Toned with attractive russet-gold and iridescent blue and gold over the obverse and reverse, with areas of light silver intermixed. The strike is very sharp for this issue, with full cascading curls on Liberty, and the eagle's wing, breast and thigh feathers are found in general abundance save for the uppermost few--an area of notorious weakness on these. Examination of the obverse will note some adjustment marks which slide through Liberty's hair and out the rim through a couple of stars and the LIB of LIBERTY. Fainter adjustment marks are found along the obverse rim, and the reverse is free of these. Although currently noted on the PCGS insert as a "Center Bust" variety, this is actually the more common Off-Center Bust variety. However, if placed in the correct PCGS holder, this coin is actually one of the three finest PCGS has graded of the Off-Center variety. Currently (10/05) the PCGS Population Report shows one coin as MS64 and one finer as MS65. If this coin is resubmitted to PCGS and correctly attributed and added in with the other existing MS64 there will be 2 coins at that grade level. As such, the present coin is of paramount importance as a Registry example of this variety as well as one of the examples of the Draped Bust, Small Eagle type. Furthermore, it is a very beautiful coin, and one which any collector will covet.<BR> Late in 1795 the Philadelphia Mint hastily adapted this new design by the famous Philadelphia painter Gilbert Stuart. A new engravers punch was made of the head and bust of Liberty, and this was applied to a new blank die. The punch of Liberty was placed too high and too far to the left on the die, and once the stars, date and LIBERTY were added, this particular obverse had a very awkward appearance. Nevertheless, coinage continued and quite a number of coins were struck using this obverse die. Another 1795 die was created (no one really knows which one was first, but tradition has held that the first die had the misplaced head of Liberty) with the head well centered, and more coins were struck. By 1796 the draped bust obverse was adapted for Large Cents (after the Liberty Cap varieties in late 1796), Half dimes, the new Dimes and Quarter denominations and half dollars as well as 1796 silver dollars dies. The Draped Bust design continued until 1807-1809 when it was replaced by Mint Engraver John Reich.<BR><I>From The Jack Lee Collection, III</B></I>