1587

1795 S$1 Flowing Hair, Three Leaves MS63 NGC. B-5, BB-

Currency:USD Category:Coins & Paper Money / US Coins Start Price:105,000.00 USD Estimated At:1.00 - 1,000,000.00 USD
1795 S$1 Flowing Hair, Three Leaves MS63 NGC. B-5, BB-
<B>1795<img border='0' src='http://www.heritagecoins.com/images/star.gif' width=10 height=10>$1 Flowing Hair, Three Leaves MS63 NGC.</B></I> B-5, BB-27, R.1. A rare and desirable coin in any Mint State grade, and this Select example will certainly generate significant excitement when it crosses the block. Toned with delicate gold over the reflective surfaces, with Liberty's head a touch lighter with silver accents on her face and hair, and framed with blue through the dentils. The fields and devices are remarkably clean for a Bust dollar, and anyone who spends more than a casual glance examining the fields and devices will assuredly be pleased with the regal quality found here. The fields and devices show abundant luster, with a hint of reflectivity from the original die polish used to prepare the dies for coinage. Faint adjustment marks cross the eagle's chest and trace evidence reappears on the dentils. Identifiable by a planchet flaw which resides from star 3 to 4 to the rim nearby on the obverse, and a much smaller planchet flaw on the reverse from the left stem down to the rim at the base of that side. A fabulous coin for the specialist, which boasts rich eye appeal, splendid quality and a sharp strike, all qualities desired but seldom found in these large Flowing Hair silver dollars. In terms of rarity, this is by far the most common die pairing of the year, but in this condition, the present coin is a great rarity and certainly within the top 100 coins of this date, perhaps much higher when one considers the Three Leaf reverse as opposed to the Two Leaf reverse styles. Census: 5 in 63, 19 finer (1/06).<BR> This die pairing produced an estimated 100,000 coins, which is as high as any pair of dies from the first decade at the Mint. Even more important is the fact that these very large dies for the silver dollar lasted such an extended period of time without cracking severely or shattering during this lengthy production run. The obverse die was scratched by the engraver before production began, with a long thin "bar" behind the uppermost curl of Liberty. Long considered a slip of the engraver's hand who was likely strengthening Liberty's curl points at the time of the minor accident. The "bar" variety is instantly identifiable from a distance, as this feature is so often seen and usually the bar is found very sharp and clear. On much later die states the bar is thinner reflecting die lapping which was commonly done to remove die rust (in the case here) or possibly die clashing (not usually seen on this variety). The die lapping literally files off the highest portion of the die (the fields) thus removing minor die surface marks such as light rust or die clashing. This process also minutely reduces the depth of the devices by lowering the fields, and on many lapped dies Liberty's curls are greatly weakened or the stars appear smaller on the obverse as a result. On the present coin, the die state is early and thus Liberty's curls show the greatest depth and definition, and the stars are large and full. Curiously, the reverse die cracks early in its life from the left stem end to the border below, but this crack remains remarkable stable and does not continue across the eagle, nor does it thicken significantly during the coining process. Most dies do not fair so well, and once a crack forms, each new coin struck acts like a wedge hammering into the die crack usually expanding the width and length of the crack until the die breaks apart.<BR> The Flowing Hair design is thought to be the work of Robert Scot. Once released on the 1794 and early 1795 silver dollars, the design met with public outcry. A similar fate greeted the 1793 Chain cents and Wreath cents. In the case of the silver dollar, the powers that be decided it would serve them well to hire a more competent designer for a coin of the importance of the silver dollar, that being the monetary unit of our new coinage in the United States. Henry William DeSaussure took it upon himself to accomplish two things when he assumed the Philadelphia Mint Directorship duties in June of 1795. The first priority was to issue gold coins (first the Mint employees had to be properly bonded against theft) and the second was to redesign all coinage, particularly the silver. DeSaussure obtained the services of the famous painter Gilbert Stuart to redesign the silver dollar. Stuart modeled his new silver dollar obverse from his painting of the most beautiful women in Philadelphia, Mrs. William Bingham, the former Miss Ann Willing. His designs are classic 18th Century beauty. Liberty is rendered with her long hair bound by a ribbon, and her bust is covered by a loose gown. The reverse received considerable attention as well, with the eagle made much smaller and the wreath more delicate, employing a combination of laurel and palm branches. Thus, the Flowing Hair design was put out to pasture and retired, after scarcely a year in production. The early days at the Mint presented many challenges, and this coin captures these struggles in magnificent perfection, right down to the mint frost imparted by the dies.