1799/8 Draped Bust Silver Dollar. BB-141, B-3. Rarity-3. 15 Stars. MS-62 (PCGS). CAC.The smooth steel gray fields are ringed with vivid areas of iridescent blue that adds an additional level appeal to an already premium quality specimen. Hints of light silver peek out on the obverse fields, while the soft underlying lustrous surfaces on the reverse serve to accentuate the delicate web of die cracks particular to this die pair. A visual feast that adds considerable interest to this already desirable variety. The 1799/8 silver dollar with the intriguing 15 Stars reverse is a fascinating, if not bizarre, story of the early Philadelphia Mints attempts at covering up engraving blunders as well as their recycling of older dies. When this obverse was originally cut, it bore a 1798 date but for unknown reasons was not put into immediate use. It was then brought out of storage and recut with a 1799 date but left behind clear evidence of the earlier date. While overdates are hardly unusual, the reverse die is the opposite story and tells a tale of improvisation and adaptation. When the die cutter was engraving the arc of stars above the eagles head on the reverse, he placed a top row of seven stars, then a second row of six stars, then flanked the eagle with two additional stars, one on either side. At some point, the engraver realized that this resulted in 15 stars and not the intended 13. In an attempt to cover up the two extraneous stars, the die cutter drastically enlarged the leftmost and rightmost clouds, creating a rather unbalanced and very distinct composition unique to this die pairing. While the intent was admirable, the cover-up was not completely successful since clear traces of the two stars can still be seen upon close inspection. The 1799-dated silver dollars were struck in significant quantities, with some nearly 400,000 coins struck from 22 known die pairs, three of which bear the 1799/8 overdate. Bowers and Borckardt estimate that 700 to perhaps as many as 1,200 examples of the BB-141 die marriage are known today, making this variety relatively accessible to collectors and enthusiasts. However, most specimens are found at the higher circulated levels of preservation, with comparatively few Mint State examples to satisfy the demand for this very popular type.From The Des Moines Collection. Earlier ex Ira & Larry Goldbergs September 2011 sale of the Dr. Robert Hesselgesser Collection, lot 5072.
