Q. David Bowers
1801 [BB-214] B-4. R-4. Close date, figures evenly spaced; spur on curved part of D of UNITED. Choice VF, light warm iridescent tone, pleasing natural gloss, tiny obverse rim nick, and a bagmark near 12th star, but no other handling marks worth notice. $475.00.
1801 [BB-214] B-4a. Faint crack from a denticle to a cloud, right of S of STATES. EF-45, frosty and tarnished gray with some faint signs of iridescent toning. Flatly struck up upon the upper portions of the hair and the central portions of either side. Minor obverse bag and abrasion marks, mostly hidden by the toning. $950.00.
1801 [BB-214] B-4a. VF-30 to 35, mostly an even gray tone, darker iridescence about the denticles .. Quite clean with somewhat reflective surfaces (resulting from repolished dies). $625.00.
1802/1 [BB-231] B-1. High R-5. Close overdate, "pocket" at throat and "collar" at base of neckline. AD-55, sharpness with a prooflike surface obverse, but cleaned neither too wisely nor too well. Some original lustre still evident, mostly about the devices on the reverse, along with a little iridescent toning. Obverse has handling marks and one medium-sized rim bruise at 3:00, the reverse is virtually free from any defects. $1,010.00.
1802/1 [BB-232] B-4a, but without the faint die break connecting first A of AMERICA to the feather. F-15 overall, well toned to blue, green, gray and rose colors. Weakly struck up on the high points of Liberty as usual and we are not calling this a higher grade because of a handful of minor nicks and bruises on either rims. $355.00.
1802/1 [BB-232] B-4a. R-3. About EF-40, but peculiarly struck in that the center of the obverse appears bulged. Well toned to dark gray, but lustrous about devices and legends. Clean, save for some small obverse nicks on the denticles, most noticeable between the 8th and 9th stars, plus a few tiny reverse edge bruises. $725.00.
1802/1 [BB-232] B-4a. Really better than VF-35, but flatly struck up on the high points of the obverse. Lustrous surfaces with lovely iridescent toning (mostly on the obverse), reverse well struck and full deserved of the EF grade. Tiny rim nicks and/or bruises on either side do not impair this coin's appearance. $575.00.
1802/1 [BB-233] B-2. R-5. VF-25, cool gray with a little obverse iridescence about the denticles. Clean and desirable, though not perfectly centered. Flatly struck up on the obverse high points. $475.00.
1802/1 [BB-234] B-3. Low R-4. Small die lump in upper right obverse field between the 8th and the 9th stars. About VF-30, violet and gray tone, and relatively clean. There is a tiny reverse rim nick just left of the first A in AMERICA. $425.00.
1802/1 [BB-235] B-9b. R-7. Better than EF, richly toned; one or only two known in this final die state. EF-40 to 45, very flatly struck and off center is more accurate a description. $775.00.
1802 [BB-241] B-6. R-1. Normal "close" date, really divided 1802. Sharp but bagmarked AD. Cleaned years ago and now with natural sunset tone, which effectively conceals most of the faint scratches. $1,075.00.
1802 [BB-241] Another B-6. VF-30, traces of old obverse cleaning, reverse nicely mottled. Weakly struck up on the obverse, but clean, well centered and attractive. $575.00.
1802 [BB-241] B-6. VF-25, once cleaned, beginning to retone, well centered, and has a few obverse and reverse handling marks. $500.00.
1802 [BB-241] B-6. VF-30, cleaned, beginning to tone golden about the denticles. Clean without any imperfections worth mentioning. $500.00.
1802 [BB-242] B-5. R-7. EF-40, unevenly toned, and quite lustrous and attractive. Minor obverse handling, reverse bold and exceptionally clean. Well centered and a delightful example. $1,200.00.
1803 Another B-6a. EF-45 or better, lustrous, but color hues rather dull. Well struck and clean, but there are three or four noticeable reverse edge bruises, the worst at 9:30. $925.00.
1803 [BB-251] B-1. About F-10, uneven gray obverse tone, and clean except for some very minor reverse rim bruises. $275.00.
1803 [BB-251] B-1. R-5. Small 3. F-15, slight iridescent tone around the edges, and clean except for a small cut between the 5th and 6th stars on the left. Obverse bolder than the reverse; well centered. $350.00.
1803 [BB-251] B-1a. F-12 or so, light gray tone, but there is a light inch-long obverse scratch at the right across Liberty's breast. A couple of small rim bruises. $275.00.
1803 [BB-252] B-5. R-6. About VF-35, although the lovely lustrous and light iridescent surfaces suggest a higher grade. Very flatly struck up in the centers, but clean. $625.00.
1803 [BB-252] B-5a. Bifurcated letters. VF-20, warm gray tone, and clean. Obverse slightly off center. $375.00.
1803 [BB-254] B-4. R-3. AD-55 or better, mostly iridescent blue toning about the boldly struck borders. Centers partly brilliant and the surfaces prooflike. Minor handling and a few microscopic handling marks remove this beauty from the strict MS class. $1,950.00.
1803 [BB-255] B-6. R-1. VF-20 where' struck up, and gray colored, but counters tamped 188 vertically across the cheek, neck, and drapery. Except for a few minute rim nicks, clean. $150.00.
1803 [BB-255] B-6a. F-15, light gray color with a few rim nicks and bruises and bagmarks in Liberty'S hair. Obverse not perfectly centered; reverse weak about the rims. $300.00.
1803 [BB-255] B-6a. Overall nearer to almost Unc, than to EF, much mint lustre, irregular gray tone, few minute rim nicks; few border adjustment marks. $735.00.
1803 [BB-255] B-6a. VF-30, but the iridescent and lustrous obverse surfaces suggest a higher grade. Reverse is dull gray and iridescent and has two small rim bruises; while the obverse has two scratches vertically down from the chin. High points of obverse very flatly struck up, borders and the reverse bold. $500.00.
1803 [BB-255] B-6a. Virtually MS-60, dark iridescent toning, and fully lustrous with a sparkling cartwheel effect. Minor signs of handling a few microscopic rim nicks, and not fully struck up on the high points. $1,350.00.
1803 [BB-256] B-3. R-7. Not quite VF-20 and a flat impression on the high points as usual. Uneven tarnish mixed with faint original lustre around the devices. Clean except for some reverse edge bruises and nicks, the most serious at 7:00. $450.00.