It is the most magnificent 1795 dollar of this type that I have ever seen. -- B. Max Mehl, 1946.A legendary specimen and a coin of incomparable quality, this dollar shows fully realized detail and serves to ideally depict the design type. Both sides show unusually strong reflectivity, a characteristic that led B. Max Mehl to describe this as a "semi-proof, just about equal to a brilliant Proof." The toning is deep and ancient, with navy blue on the obverse that incorporates light blue and violet while yielding to limpid gold inside the rims, while the reverse is toned with a lighter blue through most of the center, winged with the same champagne gold at the extreme left and right sides. The portrait of Liberty is engraved in the highest style, with a rounded cheek, open eye, and delicate lips, each well struck, creating a realistic vision of the goddess. The high relief portrait has won the battle of metal flow with the reverse, a compromise that has cost the eagles breast some fine detail. The stars are sculptural in their relief, the denticles on both sides are well formed, and the entire design presents itself with elegance. A batch of adjustment marks remains from where a small amount of metal was carefully removed from the periphery of the planchet before striking, visible between 6:00 and 9:00, affecting stars 1 and 2 at the time of striking. Further parallel adjustment marks are seen at the absolute center of the obverse, descending down along Libertys hair line to near the bust truncation, and in less obvious form are likewise visible among the letters of LIBERTY. A short, old contact mark between the base of the 5 in the date and star 13 remains in the same form as it was when Mehl noticed it in 1946, marginalized near the rim and not a notable detriment. A short curved lintmark is noted on the reverse, above the right wing, and a batch of minor contact points is found between the base of the left wing and the two-leaf cluster below, the pairing that gives the "Two Leaves" type its nomenclature.There is not another specimen of this variety known in Mint State, nor are there any in lower grades that approach this coins incredible visual appeal. Nearly a half-century into his career, B. Max Mehl had never encountered a finer 1795 dollar. While Atwaters source for this dollar is unknown, Mehl commented that "he was a consistent buyer of gem specimens." Atwater acquired coins from many of the most notable auctions of the first quarter of the 20th century, as well as privately from dealers, including cherrypicking many choice specimens from the Col. James W. Ellsworth collection from the inventory of Wayte Raymond ca. 1923.Among the spectacular Flowing Hair dollars of the D. Brent Pogue Collection, this one stands out for its rarity as a die variety. When Milferd H. Bolender wrote the first stand-alone work on early dollars, he noted "the authors example is probably the Haseltine specimen. Two others are known to the authors, and no others have been heard of in 40 years." Described in the Haseltine Type-Table, written by J. Colvin Randall and published in 1881, this variety was listed as unique. While more have been identified in the intervening decades, nearly all have been in well circulated grades. The only Mint State survivors from this die marriage are this coin and the Baldenhofer-Ostheimer piece, graded MS-62 (PCGS). Just two 1795 dollars of all varieties have been graded finer than this one by PCGS, and both are in the present sale. Of the three examples of the date certified as MS-65 by PCGS, two are offered herein, including one in the preceding lot.
