Q. David Bowers
1796 [BB-61] B-4. About VF-20, quite clean, and has a very heavily toned reverse. Evenly struck and well centered. $625.00.
1796 [BB-61] B-4. F-12, evenly gray toned and struck. Few adjustment marks on Liberty's neck and hair, plus a minor reverse rim bruises. $500.00.
1796 [BB-61] B-4. F-15 or better, but there are some faint obverse pinscratches along with some dreaded adjustment marks. Well tarnished and toned. Obverse much more bold than the reverse. $625.00.
1796 [BB-61] B-4. R-3. Small Date, large letters. Perfect curls, struck before die was reground. Almost Unc. or better, deeply toned and lustrous, though with two or three small rubbed places. $2,200.00.
1796 [BB-61] B-4. VF-25. with some faint iridescent toning on the obverse, while the reverse shows signs of old cleaning. A few minor reverse rim bruises, plus aplanchet defect on E of AMERICA and a die defect on the wreath from the right side of M to wing tip. Rather dull appearance, but very scarce. $925.00.
1796 [BB-63] B-2 obverse, but with a semi-unique and unlisted reverse having ,a long vertical die break from the denticles at 1:00 passing left edge of 0 in OF, through wreath, wing tip, wreath, C of AMERICA and curving left slightly to a denticle. Was VF before someone scratched the lines across the diameter of the obverse in a wheel spoke fashion; after which someone else tried improving this piece by lightly burnishing the entire obverse. Reverse is untouched and shows the unmistakable weakness on the left three quarters of the coin due to the die failure. Damaged, but still semi-unique to date. $850.00.
1796 [BB-63] B-2. R-5. VF-35 or better, lightly toned, and sharp (except for the stars). Obverse not perfectly centered and nicked at the 8th star; reverse with a small gouge from left upright of U to the edge. $1,150.00.
1796 [BB-65] B-5. R-3. About Unc., mostly deeply toned and lustrous, but with four or five similar light areas of rubbing. Not known to exist in full Mint State. A lustrous EF-45 at best, but unusually well struck up at the centers. $1,750.00.
1796 [BB-65] B-5. Sharpness of EF-40 where struck up. Partly lustrous and well toned. Poorly struck up in the centers and with plenty of adjustment marks on the reverse. Overall grade of VF-30. $925.00.
1796 [BB-66] B-1. High R-5. Straight date nearly evenly spaced. Practically Unc., deeply toned but with much mint lustre, light cabinet friction in very center of reverse, many central obverse adjustment marks. $1,850.00.
1797 [BB-71] B-3. R-4. 16 Stars. 10x6; large letters. AU-50, lightly toned, and lustrous. Well centered, but struck with tiny streaks and spots, evidently in the planchet before striking. One reverse rim nick at 1:00 is mentioned mainly for identification purposes.' $3,800.00.
1797 [BB-71] B-3. VF-20, well toned, iridescently so about the devices. Well struck, centered and very clean, save for a few microscopic edge bruises. $800.00.
1797 [BB-71] B-3b. Really AU-50, lustrous, but a rather dull pale color and rubbed on the high spots. Irregularly struck up about the obverse rims. There is one tiny rim nick at the 10th star; otherwise, perfect. Condition Census level. $1,750.00.
1797 [BB-71] B-3b. Small Eagle. EF-45 sharpness and very bold, but the surfaces are extremely dull as a result of undoubtedly old clipping. Well struck, centered, and clean, with many reverse adjustmentor file marks as made. Nearly full feather on eagle's breast-unusual so. $2,000.00.
1797 [BB-71] B-3c. Warmly toned Unc., a number of reverse scratches on eagle. Well struck, frosty and beautiful. $4,200.00.
1797 [BB-72] B-2. F-12, even gray color and almost an exact match for the latter from a standpoint of obverse wear; however, the reverse is weaker, struck slightly off center, and has three or four rim bruises. $600.00.
1797 [BB-72] B-2. F-12. Devices outlined with a golden iridescent color. Reverse weak, but exceptionally clean for the grade and a piece with which we can really find no fault. $975.00.
1797 [BB-72] B-2. R-6. 16 Stars, 9x7. Reverse small letters. VF-30, even natural toned, and really a superior example for this usually poorly struck coin. Well centered obverse and free from defects, except for one or two obverse pinpricks. $1,850.00.
1797 [BB-73] B-1. R-4. 16 Stars, 9x7; large letters. VF-25, natural partially gray toned, and exceptionally clean. Broad full borders, reverse with minor adjustment marks. $875.00.
1797 [BB-73] B-1. VF-20, but cleaned. Minor obverse handling, but without any signs of adjustment marks. $1,050.00.
1797 [BB-73] B-1b. Similar obverse state, but reverse is very finely cracked at the second T of STATES. Really better than F-15 for this miserably struck coin. Well tarnished and toned; but there are many light pinscratches before Liberty's face and downward, plus a few obverse rim bruises and nicks. Reverse with adjustment marks at the lower border. $575.00.
1797 [BB-73] B-1b. Strictly VF-25 where struck up. Warmly toned with a little lustre. Numerous obverse adjustment marks at left as made. $800.00.
1798 [BB-81] B-2. F-12, cleaned, but with excellent, unimpaired surfaces. A tiny rim nick on either side isn't really worth mentioning. $500.00.
1798 [BB-81] B-2. R-4. 15 Stars. VF-30 or better, but marked right of the 6th star and bluntly scratched between the 10th and 11 th stars. There are also several rim nicks and/ or bruises on either side. $675.00.
1798 [BB-81] B-2. VF-20, faintly iridescent and gray tone, and clean except for several obverse rim bruises (the most noticeable at 7:00). Weakly struck reverse as usual. $750.00.
1798 [BB-81] B-2a. Extended obverse die cracks. About Unc., deeply toned with flashes of original mint brilliance; unusually sharp strike; a couple of small rubbed places, less noticeable than on some of the earlier pieces in this group. $3,000.00.
1798 [BB-82] B-1a. Small Eagle. (R-4). 13 Stars. VF-30, dull tarnish, and quite bold. Exceptionally clean; reverse lustrous and with many adjustment marks. $975.00.
1798 [BB-82] B-1a. About VF-30, dull even light gray color. Very clean and attractive. $800.00.
1798 Unlisted. Reverse of Bolender 4; obverse B-1. [BB-91] different from B-4 as follows .... F-15, clean, but with the usual amount of handling marks we would expect on a coin of this grade. $1,300.00.
1798 [BB-92] B-4. R-6. Knobbed 9, wide date, "abnormally" arranged stars (in straight lines forming diamond patterns), R-1 far apart. EF-40, beautiful iridescent bluish and sunset hues on the obverse, lustrous golden gray reverse. A bold strike, though not perfectly centered on the obverse. Faint reverse adjustment marks, as well as identifiable dent at D where the letter was hit with a blunt object. $800.00.
1798 [BB-92] B-4. VF-35, warm gray and faintly iridescent tone. Very clean and well centered. A beauty, comparable to the last. Condition Census level. $675.00.
1798 [BB-93] B-5. R-7. Obverse as B-3 and 4. Reverse with vertical die break along right side of shield entirely across the reverse. VF-20, clean, with a touch of gold. $550.00.
1798 [BB-93] B-5. About F-12, even gray, and clean except for a few minute obverse handling marks. $375.00.
1798 [BB-93] B-5. F-12, clean, and with the usual poorly struck reverse. $375.00.
1798 [BB-94] B-3. R-5. Large Eagle, 13 Stars (as are all the following). VF-20, clean, obverse adjustment marks, and with two noticeable reverse rim bruises above right side of second T in STATES and equal distance between Sand O. $475.00.
1798 [BB-95] B-7. R-7. Fully F-15. Even natural dark toning, mostly gray. Weakly struck up on some of the borders and with an identifiable nick on the denticles above U of UNITED. $425.00.