Q. David Bowers
1799 [BB-169] B-21a. Nearly R-5. Nearer AU than EF, much mint brilliance, some sunset toning. $200.00.
1800[BB-181] B-1. R-6. Fine, small reverse rim dent. $120.00.
1800[BB-182] B-2. R-7. Nearly E:F; lustrous, lightly bagmarked, sunset toned. $210.00.
1800[BB-183] B-3. High R-7.Just VF. $210.00.
1800[BB-184]B-12. R-4. More or less AU, considerable mint brilliance, gold and blue tone, traces of old cleaning; uneven strike, basically bold. $260.00.
1800[BB-185] B-20. Borderline R-8. Fine, obverse planchet flaws forming a cross. $150.00.
1800[BB-186] B-4b. High R-4. About EF, mint lustre, toning in cool colors, uneven strike, light scratch in hair below B, small faint obverse rim dent. $220.00.
1800[BB-187] B-16. High R-3. EF-AU, rainbow iridescence over mint frost; sharp impression but striking unevenness in usual places; faint touch of obverse cabinet friction; light rim dent just beyond final S. $190.00.
1800[BB-188] B-8a. R-2. VF, some mint lustre; defective planchet with many cracks; tiny rim nick either side. $120.00.
1800[BB-189] B-5a. High R-5. VF, uneven strike, some lustre, light warm tone, pleasing natural gloss. $200.00.
1800[BB-189] B-5b. Nearly EF, sharp, lustrous; tiny rim dent; reverse dark streak, in flan before striking. $230.00.
1800[BB-190] B-10b. R-2. EF/AU, lustrous, with signs of old cleaning and irregular natural tone. $320.00.
1800[BB-191] B-11. Low R-7. Reverse AMERICAI. Where struck up, this is nearer AU than EF, with considerable mint brilliance. Central weakness on both sides as almost always, but mint frost even in some weak areas. Small but deep obverse planchet defect (split) above. Faint traces of old cleaning. $300.00.
1800[BB-192] B-19b. R-2.AMERICAI. Extended cracks as described by Bolender. All things considered, AU; mint lustre, gold and sunset tones, rather weakly struck in centers. Condition Census level. $310.00.
1800[BB-193] B-18b. R-2. Brilliant Unc., peripheral tone, part of cheek and adjacent hair not up. Extremely rare with obverse. cracks in stars. $340.00.
1800[BB-194] B-14b. R-3. Better than EF, faint cabinet friction, much mint brilliance, gold and blue tone. Very beautiful. $300.00.
1800[BB-195] B-15. EF to AU, much lustre, faint traces of old cleaning, light warm tone, light planchet streak on either side. $210.00.
1800[BB-196] B-17b.R-1. AU or so, dull gold toning, some mint lustre; reverse superior to obverse. $240.00.
1801 [BB-211] B-1b. High R-4. AU. Condition Census level. $380.00.
1801 [BB-212] B-2a. R-3. EF-AU, brilliant, doubtless cleaned long ago, lightly bagmarked. Condition Census level. $380.00.
1801 [BB-213] B-3. R-3. EF/ AU, brilliant, cleaned. $210.00.
1801 [BB-214] B-4. R-4. Close Date. EF plus, highly lustrous, peripherally toned, cleaned long ago. Condition Census level. $330.00.
1802/1 [BB-231] B-1. High R-5. Close overdate, EF or so, flat strike, much of flattening from die injury. Trivial handling marks, sunset and dusky tone. $170.00.
1802/1 [BB-232] B-4a. R-3. Close overdate. VF, some mint lustre, delicate toning, central reverse adjustment marks. $150.00.
1802/1 [BB-233] B-2. R-5. EF or so, some mint lustre with delicate gold and blue toning; light central scratches, some of which may be adjustment marks. Small reverse rim dent. $150.00.
1802/1 [BB-234] B-3. Low R-4. VF plus, surface somewhat soft, porous and naturally streaky, traces of repairs around 02 where most probably corrosion was removed. $210.00.
1802/1 [BB-235] B-9. High R-7. Close overdate. VF, light toning. $170.00.
1802 [BB-241] B-6. R-1. Normal date divided 1802. Slightly short of Unc., having light slide marks on cheek and bust; evidence of old cleaning. $425.00.
1802 [BB-242] B-5. Normal date. R-7. Obverse VF-EF, reverse EF; gray tone; a single rim dent on either side. $150.00.
1803 [BB-251] B-1a. Small 3. R-5. Wide Date, 1 free. VF or better, sharp, trivially bagmarked; small rim dent below 1 of date. $130.00.
1803 [BB-252] B-5. R-6. Close date. EF, rainbow tone, obverse stronger than reverse. Tiny obverse rim nick above R, smaller border nicks near 2nd star. $220.00.
1803 [BB-254] B-4a. R-3. Just VF, some mint lustre, some iridescent tone; small obverse rim dent. $130.00.
1803 [BB-255] B-6. Large 3. R-1. More or less Unc., prooflike surface, struck from repolished dies. Exceptional. $450.00.
The Gilhousen Collection sold by Superior Galleries, October 1973. This magnificent offering, sold under the pseudonym of Clarke Gilhousen, included outstanding coins from specialized collection of silver dollars formed by Alfred J. Ostheimer, 3rd, mostly catalogued by Walter Breen. Ira Goldberg, president of Superior Stamp & Coin Co., Inc., told of the collection as follows; (Information concerning the Ostheimer coins is from Ira Goldberg, cousin of Larry. Letter to the author, November 24, 1992 )
I will try to shed some light on the Gilhousen silver dollars that we sold from 1973 to 1975. Actually, these coins were acquired directly from Mr. Ostheimer in Hawaii by my cousin, Larry Goldberg. He acquired all of the silver dollars that were not sold through Lester Merkin in 1968. I believe this transaction took place in 1972. The Ostheimer dollars were then sold to one of our clients, a member of the Huntington family, from whom we took the name Gilhousen (he was a Gilhousen descendant). Gilhousen was a pseudonym that we used for these silver dollars as well as our United States gold auction which we sold as the Gilhousen Collection Part I in 1971. This was our first major coin sale.
The Superior sale created quite a bit of attention, and numerous record prices were set. Certain of the silver dollars reappeared in the same firm's 1975 American Numismatic Association Convention Sale.
1794 [BB-1] Frosty, gray toned Uncirculated, one of the sharpest strikes ever reported. Date, all stars, all of back hair, feathers and leaves, dentils at left on both sides, and letters in UNITED STATES-all the details which normally come weak or illegible on 1794 dollars,-are here unusually bold. Minor field handling marks, one reverse rim dent; some adjustment marks (as made) near borders. Light clash marks but no rim break. One of two finest known. [From the Lord St. Oswald Collection, Christie's, London, 1964, Lot 138; to Alfred J. Ostheimer, 3rd; description condensed] $110,000.00.
1794 [BB-1] A second, with the clash marks mostly faded out and with the beginnings of the exceedingly rare rim break at 7th star. VF and a far above average strike, the normally weak details at left being bold (except for tips of some dentils and the very tops of UNITED STA). $12,500.00.
1794 [BB-1] A third. Intermediate die state, with plain clash marks but no rim break. Some areas of Fine sharpness, others of VF, but a large lamination defect behind head (as made) and about 1/3 the area of left reverse is covered by small pit marks. Usual strike with weak left stars and date, UNITED STATES hardly legible, dentils at left not discernible. $5,250.00.