1796 $1 Small Date, Large Letters MS(PCGS#6860)

Summer 2025 Global Showcase Auction U.S. Coins

Auctioneer

Stack's Bowers

Lot Number

3097

Grade

AU58

Price

50,400

Lot Description

BB Die State I. Nearly full luster remains on brilliant silver gray surfaces. High points like the cheek, shoulder, eagle's breast, and eagle's legs show attractive coppery toning with a hint of blue, undoubtedly from contact with an envelope or cabinet drawer over the course of years. Some light hairlines are noted but do not detract, no significant marks, we note a tiny vertical obverse planchet flaw (as made) inside star 13 as an identifier that will help trace this coin through future market appearances and keep its pedigree intact. The strike is impressive, with excellent hair and feather detail and only minor softness to the eagle's legs. The peripheral details, such as stars and denticles, are especially well defined. A charming example, and solidly within the Condition Census for the BB-61 attribution.<p>Bowers-Borckardt 61 is the only collectible variety that corresponds to the Small Date, Large Letters <em>Guide Book</em> variety of the 1796-dated silver dollar issue. (The BB-64 Small Date, Large Letters is a formidable rarity; Bowers knew of only three examples as of 2013.) It is also the most readily obtainable 1796-dated silver dollar die pairing with Harry E. Salyards (2022) accounting for 650 to 1,100 coins extant in all grades. The author opines that this variety was struck and delivered on multiple dates between March 30, 1796 and August 28, 1797. The substantial majority of examples grade VF or lower, often with significant surface problems. Consequently, the BB-61 is scarce to rare in grades of EF and finer, especially with problem-free surfaces. The present example is among the very finest as above, and is included in Dave Bowers' list of "Notable Specimens" published in his 2013 <em>Encyclopedia of United States Silver Dollars: 1794-1804</em>.