Oct 1-2, 2001, The George Mouhtouris Collection, Sale 11
Lot 1764
1795. Off-center bust, B-14, BB-51, R-2, URS-12. PCGS graded AU-58. A magnificent coin for the grade that boasts a wonderful strike with full curls on Liberty and excellent breast
feathers on the eagle. PCGS has only graded 9 this high, with a scattering of others in mint state, 22 in all. That's not many considering how many type collectors there are combined with the dollar collectors who need one! The surfaces are toned a
rich golden gray, with glowing luster throughout with blue tones around the edges. We do note moderate hairlines, perhaps as much from circulation as past handling, but these are quite the norm. There is one jagged scratch through the back of
Liberty's curls and into the field just above her ribbon, but it scarcely shows. Thought to have been the first of the draped bust varieties coined, with the new dies which employed the famous portrait of Anne Willing Bingham by Gilbert Stuart.
Color photo.
Estimated Value $10,000-15,000.
Lot 1765
1795. Centered bust, B-15, BB-52, R-3, URS-12. PCGS graded AU-55. This one has beautiful color from many years of being stored in an album, with a colorful ring of yellow and green
through the stars. As to the balance of the coin, it is dark to medium gray in color on the obverse, a bit lighter and more silvery gray on the reverse. Well struck save for the area at the bust tip where adjustment marks are located, this lack of
silver caused OF on the reverse to be weak too. Bold on the eagle's breast, with most of the feathers in attendance still. The familiar die chip has just started to form on this one (located in the hair near the ribbon), and that makes this a very
early die state. Color photo.
Estimated Value $8,000-12,000.
Lot 1766
1796. Large date, small letters, B-5, BB-65, R-3, URS-11. PCGS graded AU-55. One of perhaps 10 coins graded as such by PCGS (there is some confusion over the various date/letter size
combinations over the years), with just 6 coins graded higher. This one has cloudy gray toning on both sides, especially the reverse, with darker gold on the high points. As to the strike, it is extremely sharp, and the eagle's wings and body seem
to leap off the coin. Clean surfaces for the grade, without the usual bagmarks or circulation ticks seen on others of this grade. Bright gold shades in the devices and lettering, which offset them from the fields. Excellent details on Liberty's
curls, and the eagle's breast feathers are sharp. A common date, but this one is one of the very finest seen. Color photo.
Estimated Value $8,000-12,000.
Lot 1767
1796. Large date, small letters, B-5a, BB-65, R-3. Sharpness of VF-20 but cleaned. This one was cleaned long ago, now with moderate hairlines present on both sides, but has retoned a
steel gray with blue highlights in the lettering and devices. Excellent hair detail on Liberty and even breast feathers on the eagle. We see a small rim bruise below the bust, but no other problems. As on all seen of this die variety, there is a die
lump touching the I of AMERICA, and this was caused by a bubble in the die steel which collapsed as more and more coins were struck. Therefore, the coins show a progressively larger raised "spot" where the bubble was located in the die. Similar die
bubbles are seen on dimes (1796 JR-1) and other coins of the period.
Estimated Value $1,000-1,250.
Lot 1768
1797. 9 stars left, 7 right, large letters, B-1, BB-73, R-2, URS-12. Sharpness of VF-35 but slight tooling noted. This one has been holed and plugged left of the date, where a series of
faint scratches, but the evidence is more available on the reverse where ED of UNITED have obviously been reingraved. Further, there was a planchet streak through the eagle's head to the rim left of OF and through the ED of UNITED. Perhaps the
reingraving was to reduce the planchet streak, but instead many areas of tooling can be seen with a glass. This is all too bad, as the coin was nice to begin with, and would have been a high grade example, with a minor planchet flaw. Inspection
mandatory and many would appreciate this coin's qualities and could overlook the tooling.
Estimated Value $1,000-UP.
Lot 1769
1797. 10 stars left, 6 right, B-3, BB-71, R-3, URS-12. PCGS graded AU-58. One of the more common varieties but rare in such a high state of preservation. In fact, PCGS has only graded 3
this high, with none graded higher! Zippo, none, yes, that's right, ain't any better ones graded. Note the frosty luster in the fields and golden hues and steel gray toning. Some weakness at the center of the obverse where minor adjustment
marks can be seen and a dollop of gold color is located there and on the high point of Liberty's drapery. We note that some of the stars are not all that sharp. On the reverse we note similar color and toning, with surfaces that clearly state that
this coin barely circulated. The eagle's breast feathers are present, with wear only on the uppermost few and his thigh below. His eye is strong, and the fields show ample luster. A foremost rarity in this grade, totally unappreciated for many
years, and just recently, with 15 years of Population Report data in, does anyone finally care. Worthy of the finest collection, and certain to please any collector of early Federal silver.
Estimated Value $12,000-18,000.
Lot 1770
1798. Small eagle reverse, 15 stars on obverse, B-2, BB-81, URS-11, Rarity-3. ANACS graded EF-45. A scarce coin that is always in demand by type, date and variety collectors alike. This
one appears to have been retoned with a yellowish gold shade and has average surfaces for the grade. As to the strike, it's better than normal as most are quite weak on the reverse, not so here, the eagle and his feet are sharp for the variety.
Examination of the surfaces will note a slight pebbly appearance which was possibly the result of a long past cleaning or improper storage, nevertheless. Strong hair detail on Liberty and we note some breast feathers are visible with a glass on the
reverse, making this a very significant offering to today's dollar collector. If you have been searching high and low for a high grade example, then take a look at this lot.
Estimated Value $4,500-6,500.
Lot 1771
1798. Heraldic eagle reverse closed date, 5 vertical stripes in shield, B-17, BB-101, R-5, URS-7. PCGS graded VF-25. A rare and seldom offered variety, this coin sports the 5 fine lines
making up each stripe in the shield to represent the red and white of the Great Seal. Most silver dollar dies show 4 fine lines, and this detail is enough for listing in the Guide Book as a separate issue. Steel gray in color, with mottled darker
areas around the central reverse devices. The strike is average. On the reverse, the engraver used the star cross pattern, which is closer to the pattern seen on the Great Seal of the United States, and the stars are arranged in lines rather than
arcs. One rim bump above CA of AMERICA, and we see two short parallel scratches below Liberty's ear as well as other general handling marks on both sides, expected for the grade. Struck from dies which were severely lapped, nearly eliminating the
dentils on the left side of the obverse (this was done to remove a die crack through the stars on the left side, some of the crack can still be seen). The Bowers Borckardt auction survey notes just 22 auction appearances for the variety.
Estimated Value $1,200-1,800.
Lot 1772
1798. Heraldic eagle reverse, large eagle, knob 9, B-7, BB-95, High Rarity-5, URS-8. ANACS graded VF-20. One of the scarcer varieties of 1798, the Bowers-Borckardt Encyclopedia noted 23
auction appearances in their extensive survey of decades of auction sales through 1992. Of the 23 offered, certainly some duplication is probable, and in the last 9 years offerings of B-7, BB-95 have been few and far between. Perhaps 40 to 50 are
known in all grades, most below extremely fine. The present coin has slightly mottled dark gray toning and has weakness in the strike through LIBE and the central shield, which is common to other coins of this variety. We note several minor surface
scratches on both sides, but these are not deep and a glass is needed to see them. On the reverse, there are some minor rim knocks, one above TE of UNITED and others over STATES. Within the lettering multicolored toning can be seen, and traces of
luster beneath. For the variety, this is a very acceptable coin as most higher grade examples are tied up in variety collections and will probably stay off the market for the foreseeable future.
Estimated Value $1,000-1,500.
Lot 1773
1798. Heraldic eagle reverse, 10 arrows, B-21, BB-107, R-4, URS-10. ANACS graded AU-50. Frosty luster in the fields and toned with antique gold colors. We note staining on the upper
left through the stars to LI of LIBERTY, and one hidden mark is located outside the fourth star. Faint hairlines from past cleaning and circulation are also present, but nothing else worth noting. Sharply impressed by the dies, and a slightly better
variety, with just 44 auction appearances noted in the extensive Bowers Borckardt survey. A good coin for the variety collector.
Estimated Value $2,700-3,500.
Lot 1774
1798. Heraldic eagle reverse, close date, B-8a, BB-125, Rarity-2, URS-11. Sharpness of Fine-15 but the rim was lightly filed. This coin is a late die state example, with the heavy break
through the C of AMERICA and two of the obverse stars very weak, as struck. Dark steel gray in color. The reverse rim has been lightly filed to remove bumps on the upper right, another bump resides over the U of UNITED. Otherwise, the surfaces are
acceptable for the grade, and considering the die state, this makes for a great coin to study.
Estimated Value $400-600.
Lot 1775
1798. Heraldic eagle reverse, close date, B-25, BB-123, R-3, URS-10. Sharpness of Fine-12 but holed and plugged. This one has been holed right of the date and plugged, and some rim
bumps have been filed down. Toned a dark steel gray, and acceptable for what it is.
Estimated Value $200-250.
Lot 1776
1798. Heraldic eagle reverse, wide date, 13 arrows, B-14a, BB-122, URS-10, Rarity-3. ANACS graded AU-55. A condition rarity that is seldom offered above extremely fine, this coin is
likely high in the Condition Census for the variety. The surfaces are generally untoned, with ample white luster to tease the eye. Well struck for the variety, this is Bowers die state IV, struck after the obverse had cracked, but before the dies
were lapped. We note some scattered tick marks, one at the inner point of star six, one just above the head below the I of LIBERTY, and a couple in the field above Liberty's chest. On the reverse, we note some strange parallel lines running through
the shield in line with the D of UNITED to the I of AMERICA, these may be adjustment marks that were nearly hidden by the strike, or some minor post minting contact, but they are clearly not from the dies. An important high grade specimen that will
no doubt be eagerly sought-after by collectors.
Estimated Value $3,500-5,500.
Lot 1777
1798. Heraldic eagle reverse, wide date, 13 arrows, B-19, BB-106, R-5, URS-8. ICG graded EF-45. Gunmetal gray toning throughout, with lighter gray on the upper devices that show wear.
We note darker splashes of toning around the stars, otherwise the color is even. A glass will find moderate handling marks on Liberty as well as minor rim ticks, but these are not plain to the unaided eye. As a variety B-19 or BB-106 is scarce.
Bowers and Borckardt report 39 auction appearances of this variety. The obverse die cracked early (none have been reported without the bisecting obverse break), through the spine of the E in LIBERTY, down through curls to the 1 in the date, and the
left side of the die is weaker than the right where the crack passes. Due to the location of the die crack, Liberty's hair is always a touch weak, and hence few are found in high grades. Identifiable by a small tick right of the upper point of the
fifth star and a rim tick above the E of LIBERTY and another between RT, on the reverse by a field nick at the left ribbon end.
Estimated Value $2,000-2,500.
Lot 1778
1798. Heraldic eagle reverse, wide date, 13 arrows, B-23, BB-105, R-3, URS-11. EF-40. Lilac grey in toning with better than average surfaces for this coin. Note that the strike is sharp
on Liberty's hair, and all but the highest curls show complete definition. As to handling marks, we see a few minor scrapes in the right field, and a shallow mark on Liberty's neck. Well struck on the reverse too, with full stars over the eagle and
mottled dark grey to light gray toning. Free of rim marks or adjustment marks, and a very nice coin for the grade. The obverse appears to be a fairly early die state, while the reverse die shows numerous lumps and the lettering is drawn a bit
towards the edge.
Estimated Value $1,400-1,600.
Lot 1779
1799, B-8b, BB-165, R-3, URS-11. PCGS graded AU-58. As a date, 1799 is the most "common" date found in high grades of the bust dollar series. But this is relative, to be sure, as the
current PCGS Population Report shows only 38 graded as such, with 44 graded in various mint state grades. In total, that's less than 100 coins! This particular one had steel gray and gold toning throughout over lustrous fields. As to the surfaces,
they are very nice for even this high grade, and all collectors will love the coin. Further, it is a late die state with a healthy die crack through the legend on the reverse. Softly struck on the central reverse stars, which is unusual for a 1799,
as most are found boldly struck. A rare opportunity, and probably one of the finest known of the variety.
Estimated Value $6,000-8,000.
Lot 1780
1799. Normal date, B-18a, BB-154, URS-7, Rarity-5+. ANACS graded AU-55. Here is a very significant coin for the advanced specialist. This is the second rarest variety of the 22 known
die combinations struck during 1799, just behind the BB-151 or B-13 variety as rarest. Further, this coin is well up in the Condition Census for the variety, behind a single mint state coin, and an early die state coin (AU-55), this coin falling in
the top half dozen and perhaps as high as the top three for the variety. In color, we note a golden gray tone over luster in the fields, and the strike is sharp and complete. Struck soon after the reverse die cracked between the ED of UNITED through
the ribbon to wing of eagle, the crack is present, but not nearly as severe as seen on specimens struck later. We note a touch of multicolored hues below the eagle's tail near the rim. Identifiable by a small planchet flaw on the edge above the
right side of the U of UNITED, and a small nick below the D of that word. On the obverse, we note a tiny field mark inside and above the third star, towards the ribbon end. Minor hairlines, as always, but these do not measurably detract.
This is
not the Terrill/Austin/Fairfield coin offered in various Bowers and Ruddy sales from the 1970s, and it is far better than the Very Fine Ostheimer coins (1975 ANA) or others offered over the years. No prior pedigree information has been found on this
specimen.
Estimated Value $4,000-6,000.