1799 Draped Bust Silver Dollar. BB-164, B-17. Rarity-2. AU-58 (NGC).The lavender-grey patina reveals shades of gold and sapphire iridescence beneath a light source. This patina is illuminated by satiny mint luster that remains most vibrant around the devices. Nicely struck and free from any distracting abrasions beneath a glass. The dies show extensive fatigue in the form of cracks throughout the peripheries, equivalent to rare BB Die State V. This state was listed as "Not seen" by Q. David Bowers in his 2013 reference on the series, where he indicated that just "possibly 8 to 12 are known". <p><p>An estimated 395,000 silver dollars dated 1799 were struck, though the official number for the calendar year is 423,515 pieces. This was accomplished through the use of at least 19 different die marriages. The BB-164 pair can be easily distinguished from similar varieties by the berry size on the reverse olive branch; they are by far the largest berries on any 1799 dollar. While the obverse die was employed in six different combinations, this particular reverse die was only used for BB-164, making this a useful marker for numismatists collecting by die pair. The BB-164 is generally one of the more available of the 1799 silver dollars with perhaps 1,000 or so specimens thought to exist. As with many of the other early dollars, most examples are found in VF and seldom any finer. At the Choice AU level the issue is exceptionally rare, and no more than 4 to 6 at any Mint State rating. A truly enticing and beautiful example of this interesting and conditionally scarce die pair.<p>PCGS# 6878. NGC ID: 24X7.
