 1798 BB-110, B-16. Rarity-6. Heraldic Eagle, 13 Arrows. VF-35. An important and attractive specimen of a very challenging variety. Pleasing silver gray centers yield to subtly toned peripheries shaded olive, copper, and gold. Nicely detailed and boasting strong eye appeal for the assigned grade, some light hairlines, thin diagonal pinscratch behind Liberty's ear to bust, no heavy nicks or disfigurements. A rare variety, especially so in this grade. The Bowers work on early dollars estimates fewer than a half dozen known better than EF, and the knowledgeably written description of an EF coin in the September 2002 Goldberg sale estimates that a VF-35 sold by Heritage in the 1995 ANA sale was actually the seventh finest known, with just one Mint State example and two AUs reported. From the description of the unplated piece in the 1995 ANA sale, we would not be in the least surprised if this was actually the same coin, though the piece was then graded VF-35 (ANACS). The die states of this variety have been extensively studied by noted early dollar scholar W. David Perkins (see JRCS Journal, December 1998); this piece shows just a trace of the break from the upper serif of the 1 through the base of the lowest curl, much earlier than usually seen. This coin stands as an important prize for advanced collectors of early dollars.
From Heritage's sale of September 2002, Lot 7784.
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