1795 Flowing Hair Silver Dollar. BB-18, B-7. Rarity-3. Three Leaves--Silver Plug--EF-45 (PCGS). Secure Holder.，This is an attractively original example of a Flowing Hair silver dollar with the desirable silver plug in the center. Richly and evenly toned in deep mauve-gray patina, the plug is readily evident on the reverse, toned to a lighter olive-gold shade. The plug is similarly toned to the rest of the coin on the obverse, making it more difficult to discern, but patience reveals its outline centered around the hair curls immediately below and behind Libertys ear. Faint remnants of satiny luster are evident as the surfaces dip into a light, as are iridescent lilac and antique gold undertones. Boldly defined throughout and otherwise smooth in hand, accuracy compels us to mention a short dig in the lower right obverse field that serves as a useful identifier. Thoroughly appealing and of great historic and numismatic significance, this coin is sure to have no difficulty finding its way into an advanced early dollar set.<p>This intriguing piece owes its existence to the difficulties faced by the early United States Mint producing high quality planchets at the correct weight and fineness. In 1795, dollars and other silver coins were made only at the specific denomination requests of bullion depositors. Metal was refined, strips rolled out, and planchets made at the Mint, often slightly overweight so that they could be trimmed by filing. If an attempt had been made to achieve precise weight, a generous portion would have been underweight and would have had to have been corrected. As it was, some were indeed underweight, as here. Mint employees used the silver plugging technique as a means of bringing underweight planchets up to standard. This process was not without precedent, having been used in other world mints at that time. This experiment was first noted on 1795 Flowing Hair silver dollars (publicized after research conducted by Kenneth W. Bressett, Q. David Bowers and Roger W. Burdette), and that denomination appears to have been the primary target of the practice. Indeed, most silver plug U.S. Mint coins are silver dollars, although with PCGS President Don Willis (<em>PCGS CoinFacts</em> website) accounting for only 50 or so examples, such coins are obviously very rare in an absolute sense. Most are 1795 Flowing Hair dollars, although the unique 1794 silver dollar with a silver plug (the celebrated Carter-Contursi-Cardinal specimen) points to an earlier attempt.<p>Of the 19 known die marriages of the 1795 Flowing Hair dollar, only six have yielded examples with a silver plug: BB-11, BB-13, BB-14, BB-18, BB-19, and BB-21.，PCGS# 6854. NGC ID: 24WZ.，，
