His kindliness ... is as big as his splendid person, for he is a grand man, some 6 ft. 2, without his shoes, in height.” — S. Hudson Chapman, on William F. Gable, 1914</em>Frosty and nearly brilliant, both sides are ringed with dramatic gold around much of their circumference, while the upper obverse is highlighted with shades of violet and pastel blue. The surfaces show exceptional cartwheel luster, lending a look that nearly approximates how this dollar would have appeared when it was struck. The texture of the fields, appearing slightly rough after repeated lapping, only increases the swirl of the luster as this coin rotates in hand. Though the central strike is a bit soft on both sides, allowing the inherent planchet texture to remain visible in the soft spot beneath Liberty’s ear, peripheral design elements are mostly crisp. The eagle’s head is bold even as his outstretched leg and some of his breast show softness. Adjustment marks are prominent at the left obverse perimeter, affecting the denticles and most stars on that side. On the right, the denticles show some vestiges of planchet adjustment even though the adjacent stars are free of them. Two longer parallel adjustment lines cross Liberty’s chin; another extends from her throat to her lower lip. Other adjustment lines through LIBERTY are somewhat visible among the letters but were fully obliterated in the nearby fields. Adjustment marks, often quite prominent, are commonplace on this issue. The reason why adjustment marks are common on some varieties but unusual on others probably revolves around calibration of the planchet rollers, resulting in slightly heavier planchet stock from some batches and lighter stock from others.The fields are free of any significant marks or easily visible hairlines. Some light cloudiness near the date is hard to see unless sought out under a good light. Microscopic spalling is seen near the tops of the date digits, in a band below Liberty’s hair bow, and subtly surrounding the portrait like an asteroid belt, exacerbated by repeated lapping. This state, equivalent to Bowers Die State III, shows the effects of lapping on both sides, with details of the highest wave of hair and stars 9 and 10 truncated and the borders of the leaves on the right side of the wreath eliminated.Just three die varieties of 1797 dollar are known. The 1797 Bowers Borckardt-71 is the only one with the stars on the obverse divided 10 to the left of Liberty, 6 to the right. The other 1797-dated obverse, which shows 9 stars on the left and 7 on the right, was used on both of the other varieties of the year. The reverse seen on this coin, like the Stars 10x6 obverse, was used exclusively on this variety. The size of the reverse lettering is larger and distinctive from that found on 1797 BB-72, which employs a Small Letters die that was first used in 1795, but a similar Large Letters reverse was also used on 1797 BB-73. William F. Gable, a department store magnate from Altoona, Pennsylvania, quietly collected for just a decade, purchasing most of his coins from the Chapman brothers during the 1890s. His cabinet was largely static after 1901, “since which time he has been so engrossed in affairs that he has added practically nothing to it,” reported S. Hudson Chapman in the introduction to his May 1914 catalog of the Gable Collection.With its thorough frost and unabated luster, this coin is an aesthetic treat, a standout among a date that rarely appears in any sort of attractive Mint State grade. Though the distinctive obverse puts this die combination within the sights of major variety collectors, there are a fairly small number of high grade specimens available for pursuit. Only three 1797 dollars have been certified as MS-64 by PCGS. The Eric Newman coin sold in 2013 after 60 years off the market. This coin last sold at public auction in 1975. PCGS# 6865. NGC ID: 24X4.
