Sharp and lustrous Choice AU quality guarantees this coin a place within the Condition Census for the 1798 BB-82 dies. A satiny finish is virtually complete, in fact, and it shines forth nicely through an overlay of dominant mauve-gray and olive-russet patina. Direct viewing angles also reveal gorgeous iridescent undertones of gold, powder blue and pinkish-apricot. The strike is well centered and overall sharp, the amount of remaining detail remarkable for a variety that is typically offered no finer than VF.Large-scale production of the silver dollar continued unabated in 1798 when some 327,536 of the coins were struck that calendar year. As with earlier issues, this number does not tell the whole story, as it is very likely earlier dated dies were used until they were no longer serviceable. Of these, perhaps 235,000 actually bore the 1798 date. 1798 also saw the last use of the Small Eagle reverse design with an estimated 35,000 struck from two die pairs before being replaced by the Heraldic Eagle design. The BB-82 pair is generally the more available of the two, but not by a substantial margin, and is easily distinguished by the 13 stars on the obverse - the BB-81 has 15. As with many of the early silver dollars of the era, because the coins intrinsic value exceeded its legal tender value, large quantities of silver dollars were exported or melted down. Consequently, the issue suffered a fairly high attrition rate and now only between 500 and 800 BB-82 dollars are thought extant in numismatic channels, with a majority of these no higher than EF. As the last year of the Small Eagle reverse combined with the 13-Star obverse, many specialists seek this variety out as a "bookend" specimen or as a type coin. Conditionally rare at the Choice AU level, here is a specimen that will occupy a place of pride regardless of collecting preferences.,,PCGS# 6867. NGC ID: 24X5.,,
