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[L#0501] 1794 S$1 PCGS AU58 POP: 1

Currency:USD Category:Everything Else / Other Start Price:240,000.00 USD Estimated At:400,000.00 - 500,000.00 USD
[L#0501] 1794 S$1 PCGS AU58 POP: 1
Pop. 1 in AU58. No MS60 nor MS61. Only 1 MS62, 1 MS63, 1 MS64, 1 MS65 and 2 MS66 (this, of course, probably includes duplicates). All known strikes of this romantic issue were made on October 15, 1794. The designs were by Robert Scot, hailing originally from England, who also personally cut the dies. All silver specimens known to us show weakness in the strike at the left obverse and reverse due to skewing or oblique alignment of the dies; the unique copper specimen with lettered edge, apparently intended as a Proof or Pattern, does not show this skewing and therefore may have been struck first or on a separate occasion. It is possible that a few silver strikes were made before the skewing occurred and thus would have a full strike at the left sides, but we cannot recall having seen any, nor do we have any record of sale of such a specimen. As often seen, this specimen has light to medium adjustment marks at the rim on both sides and extending partway into the fields and touching some of the design elements. Centers are unusually bold and detailed, as pictured, with complete hair strands on Liberty's head and flowing down the neck (hence, the nickname of this design, "flowing hair"). On the obverse, the color is neutral "old silver" tint, with deeper gray in the hair and around most of the stars. The reverse is a little bit lighter in color, but also exquisite, uncleaned, with natural antique gray and silvery blue iridescence, mainly around the outer margin and encompassing the devices

As a rule, silver dollars from this year are rarely offered at public auction, and the demand for these coins far exceeds the supply, hence the rising price level. This particular coin shows its superior quality in many ways, and comes with a known provenance, that of the "Cardinal Collection" as indicated on the PCGS holder, whose serial number is 21673418.

This remarkable specimen is ranked as the 9th FINEST KNOWN in existence by Logies in his recent book "The Flowing Hair Dollars of 1794, A Historical and Population Census Study" published August 2004. Provenance should also note that the coin was once donated in 1926 by Louis B. Hungerford to the Connecticut Historical Society where it remained until 1983. We should also mention that this specimen is the finer of only two 1794 dollars in any PCGS About Uncirculated grade, the other example (AU-53) trading dealer to dealer within the last year for a reported $350,000! Accordingly we estimate a value of $400,000 - $500,000 for this finer example.