6587

1796 S$1 Small Date, Large Letters--Plugged, Tool

Currency:USD Category:Coins & Paper Money / US Coins Start Price:12,000.00 USD Estimated At:1.00 - 1,000,000.00 USD
1796 S$1 Small Date, Large Letters--Plugged, Tool
<B>1796<S$1> Small Date, Large Letters--Plugged, Tooled, Whizzed--ANACS. Fine Details, Net Good 6.</B></I> B-6, BB-64, High R.7. This is one of only three known specimens of this die variety. It is easily identifiable by the large vertical die break on the right third of the reverse.<BR> This variety was unknown at the time Milferd H. Bolender first published his <I>The United States Early Silver Dollars from 1794 to 1803</B></I> (1950). In an article in the <I>John Reich Journal,</B></I> Volume 11 / Issue 2, January, 1998 titled "Early Silver Dollar Die Marriages Discovered Since the 1881 Haseltine Type Table - A Detailed Analysis" the writer included the following:<BR> "It is unknown when this die marriage was discovered. Most likely it was in the 1950s, after the publication of Bolender's book. Two specimens are known to me, both of which can be traced to the middle to late 1950s.<BR> Early Dollar specialist K. P. Austin acquired a specimen privately in June 1957 from Walter Breen. Most likely it was Breen who discovered this new variety. (But for some reason, Breen did not publish the discovery as he had done in 1953 for the new 1795 B-18 variety). Alfred. J. Ostheimer, an early Dollar specialist with an extensive variety collection, acquired this specimen from Mr. Austin. It was later resold as lot 823 (plated) in Superior's 1975 ANA Auction Sale. That coin now resides in the Jules Reiver collection. (Note also that this specimen is the plate coin in the Bowers' Silver Dollar book).<BR> A second example of the B-6 was in the collection of Emanuel Taylor, another early Dollar specialist. It is unknown when or where Taylor acquired this coin. The Taylor Collection was acquired by the Kagins in the late 1950s and was offered in a little known catalog titled <I>America's Outstanding Collection of Silver Dollars For Sale at Fixed Prices.</B></I> The catalog was probably issued around 1959 but was not dated. Lot 19 (unfortunately not plated) was described as follows:<BR> "1796 NEW MAJOR VARIETY, Obverse B-2, Reverse NEW DIE with die break vertically bisecting the right third, very fine except that the right third is virtually uncirculated with mint luster. A most interesting coin which helps explain why some come in two different degrees of condition. Unique......$1,250.00."<BR> Bolender was aware of this variety in 1956, as it was included in his <I>New 1956 Revised Edition of Valuation List of The United States Early Silver Dollars from 1794 to 1803.</B></I> (For some reason the 1796 B-6 was not included on the 1974 valuation list). I also believe Breen was aware of both of these (B-6) specimens. According to Art Kagin, Breen worked for the Kagins around this time. Breen most likely viewed the Taylor-Kagin specimen. He certainly was aware of the fixed price list of the Taylor collection. As far as we know have been able to determine, the 1956 <I>Bolender Valuation List</B></I> is the first mention in print of the 1796 B-6. It appears that the Kagin FPL is the first time a specimen of this die variety was publicly offered for sale. The Taylor-Kagin specimen of 1796 B-6 was hidden away until it reappeared as lot 1249 in the September 11-13, 1995 Bowers & Merena Greenwald and Jackson Collections Sale. It was plated (with an enlarged photo) for the first time. It sold for $36,300 with three collectors competing for the lot as it passed $30,000! The winner was "Mr. 1796." The coin has been displayed as part of his "1796 Die Study - Year Set" at the ANA summer conventions recently in Denver (1996) and New York City (1997). We believe that the Bowers & Merena and the Taylor-Kagin specimen are one and the same.<BR> Since the John Reich article was first published, a third specimen has been reported, this one. This announcement was made by Heritage in the form of a Press Release on May 5, 2000. It was noted that this specimen was discovered as part of a large consignment of well circulated coins, and was unattributed. This specimen was sold for the first time at public auction in the June 8-10, 2000 Long Beach Coin Sale, lot 7737, where it brought $11,500. As noted in the description from that sale, the coin's hairlined surfaces "have nicely retoned in smoky-gray shades. There is a well concealed plug at 3 o'clock on the obverse periphery, another, not-so-well-concealed repair over star 1, and a large plug to the right of the 6 in the date. Typically defined for the grade, there are a few small abrasions sprinkled over each side with an acceptable overall appearance for the problems that are present on the coin." We suggest specialists will want to bid accordingly, as it may be a long time before the opportunity comes again to acquire an example of this extremely rare variety.