The finest 1798 dollar I have ever seen. - Henry Chapman, 1907Despite being a duplicate for the date, major variety, and die marriage, this ranks as one of the very finest 1798 dollars extant. This coin approaches the gem technical quality of the previous specimen, showing only some truly trivial obverse hairlines and few other notable defects. An old mark crosses the second T of STATES from left to center, and a similar mark is present at the base of UN and the field below the scroll. The luster is as bold as on the previous example, and light golden toning enlivens the largely brilliant surfaces. Some toning flecks across the central obverse subtly echo the texture of the underlying planchet.The portrait of Liberty shows extraordinary sharpness, even in the usually soft regions, and the peripheral stars are likewise well defined. Only a portion of the eagles chest feathers are visible, and much of the reverse periphery is soft, as are the obverse denticles above stars 5 through 7. The die state is more advanced on this specimen than on the preceding coin, which explains much of the peripheral softness. A light die crack crosses Libertys throat, and the reverse fields show some more fatigued texture; otherwise the state is as described above and as cataloged by Bowers as Die State II.Traced to the cabinet of Matthew A. Stickney of Salem, Massachusetts, this coin has a history of ownership that would be difficult to surpass. It was photographed and sold in 1907 as part of Henry Chapmans legendary Stickney sale, a named copy of which (available at the Newman Numismatic Portal) identifies the buyer as none other than Virgil Brand.1907 was a banner year for Virgil Brand. He spent more than $56,000 on coins and related items in those 12 months, twice what he spent in 1906. As Q. David Bowers noted in Virgil Brand: The Man and His Era, "the purchases for this year alone, if featured in a separate auction sale, would have created the most expensive sale ever held!" He bought rare early half eagles and gold Proof sets at the David S. Wilson sale, more than $10,000 worth of ancient Greek rarities at Jacob Hirschs Sale XVI, tokens from Thomas Elders 13th Sale, and paid more than $1,000 for a unique Frederick Kohler gold ingot at a Sotheby, Wilkinson, and Hodge auction in London. His bill at the Stickney sale exceeded $2,900, a substantial proportion of the sales total realization of $37,859.21, which included $6,200 for Stickneys 1787 Brasher Doubloon.Virgil Brand actively collected from 1889 until close to his death in 1926. The last of his coins were not fully dispersed by his multiple heirs until 1997, more than 70 years after his passing. Matthew A. Stickney was very active from the 1830s through mid 1850s, but after 1854, his acquisitions were limited to Proof sets and the occasional new issue. Other hobbies consumed most of his attention until his death in 1895, and his collection remained with his daughters until 1907, half a century after his collecting activities largely ceased. This coin spent something close to half its total existence in the cabinets of Matthew A. Stickney and Virgil M. Brand. After Brands death, it was likely handled by Burdette G. Johnson or New Netherlands Coin Company, who dispersed many of the Brand coins privately. When this coin sold in 1972, apparently its first auction appearance since 1907, the cataloger related that "the former owner wrote Gem, Gem, Gem on its envelope." Henry Chapman described it as "Uncirculated. Sharp, even impression with brilliant mint lustre. The finest 1798 dollar I have ever seen." Today, this piece serves not only as a type coin of magnificent quality and visual appeal, but also a window into three of the finest cabinets ever assembled in the United States: Stickney, Brand and now Pogue.
