1799/8 Draped Bust Silver Dollar. BB-141, B-3. Rarity-3. 15 Stars. AU-58 (PCGS).The satiny and smooth surfaces of this silver dollar are beautifully toned in silver-lilac and golden-apricot iridescence. The features are boldly to sharply defined from a nicely centered, well executed strike.1799 was a very busy year at the Philadelphia Mint for silver dollar production. Some 400,000 coins were struck from 22 die pairs that year, three of which bear the 1799/8 overdate. The most fascinating and popular of these overdate varieties is the BB-141 combination, which has quite a tale to tell. The obverse die bearing the 1798 date was prepared but was not used, so the date was recut to 1799, though remnants of the 8 remain visible. In addition, the BB-141s reverse die is a study in diecutter improvisation and adaptation. When the engraver was entering the stars, he elected to put one arc of seven stars, then a second arc of six stars, then flanked the eagle with two more stars, rendering 15 stars all told on the reverse, two too many. Realizing this and because die steel was at a premium, the diecutter tried to correct the mistake by drastically enlarging the leftmost and rightmost clouds attempting to cover up the extraneous stars. This adaptation did not fully hide the two stars so that they remain partially visible. The die nonetheless entered service and a sizable quantity of silver dollars were made with this die pairing. Thanks in no small part to speculators buying up as many silver dollars and selling them overseas at a profit, perhaps between 700 and 1,200 pieces survive, mostly in the middle to higher circulated grade levels. This die pair becomes a notable condition rarity at the AU level and above. The expert preservation and original patina of the offered coin make this a desirable example for discriminating silver dollar connoisseurs.
