1797 $1 BB-73 MS(PCGS#40003)

December 2025 Showcase Auction - The James A. Stack, Sr. Collection Part I

Auctioneer

Stack's Bowers

Lot Number

20003

Grade

AU58

Price

192,000

Lot Description

An exceptionally attractive example for the grade, with lively gold and amber highlights at the central obverse framed with medium antique gray, while the reverse shows bright gold at centers surrounded by gray, pastel blue, and deep navy blue. Resoundingly lustrous on both sides, with powerful cartwheel spinning around the peripheries and a remarkable degree of frost throughout. Ideally centered, with a broad frame of denticles of equal length surrounding both sides. The visual appeal is both choice and truly exquisite for this issue, one that rarely comes pretty. A bit of shallow surface encrustation is seen left of the date to the peripheral area above stars 1 through 4. Minuscule rim nicks are noted below the final date digit and above star 6, while the reverse shows a rim bruise above 3:00. Only minor marks and trivial hairlines are seen; notably, we see none of the adjustment marks so frequently encountered on this issue. The grade is spot on, as noted by B. Max Mehl the last time this was catalogued. He described this coin as "1797 Seven stars to right and nine stars to left. Reverse, large letters. Uncirculated; highest portions show slight cabinet friction. Iridescent mint luster. Rare so choice. From the great Colonel Green Collection. Record for a similar specimen, $85.00." The die state is early, equivalent to Bowers Die State I, with the lapping lines at Liberty's throat still quite prominent and what the Bowers Encyclopedia terms the "pellet flaw" under star 9 still visible. Microscopic evidence of spalling is present in the obverse field in front of Liberty's profile, above the date, and outside of star 16.<p>The only Mint State 1797 BB-73 we've sold in modern memory is the Cardinal-Pogue coin, sold by us as NGC MS-63 in 2005 and again in 2010, then offered as PCGS MS-62 (PCGS) in the Pogue IV sale of May 2016. We've not offered anything graded this high since 2013. In terms of technical quality, visual appeal, and intangible qualities like provenance and originality, this piece stands a step above others of this grade we've encountered.<p>The BB-73 is the only 9x7 Stars, Large Letters variety of 1797 Small Eagle dollar. We suspect the PCGS Population of 8 in AU-58 and 4 finer includes far fewer discrete coins than submissions. We can attest to the fact that this coin, off the market since 1947, has only been in once.