Q. David Bowers
The Fairfield Collection, Bowers and Ruddy Galleries, October 6-8, 1977, contained these early dollars:
1795 [BB-18] B-7. Flowing Hair. Three leaves. Scarcer die variety. Rarity-4. VG-Fine. $425.00.
1795 [BB-21] B-1. Flowing Hair, Small Eagle. Two leaves beneath each wing. AD. $5,250.00.
1795 [BB-24] B-13. Flowing Hair. Two leaves under each wing. F-VF, some marks. $675.00.
1795 [BB-27] B-5. Flowing Hair, Small Eagle. Gem Unc. $13,000.00.
1795 [BB-27] B-5. Flowing Hair, Small Eagle. Three Leaves. Borderline Unc. $7,250.00.
1795 [BB-27] B-5. Flowing Hair. Three leaves. VF-EF, some slight discoloration from. cleaning. $1,000.00.
1795 [BB-52] B-15. Draped Bust, Small Eagle. Choice BU. $10,000.00.
1795 [BB-52] B-15. Draped Bust. VF-EF, rim nick. $800.00.
1795 [BB-52] B-15. VF, weak centers. Some slight adjustment marks. $270.00.
1798 [BB-125] B-24. Heraldic Eagle. EF with a few rim nicks. $550.00.
1799/8 [BB-143] B-2. Rarity-4. Choice Unc. $4,200.00.
1799 [BB-154] B-18a. Borderline Unc. $1,650.00.
1799 [BB-158] B-16. EF. $720.00.
1799 [BB-158] B-16. VF-EF. Small planchet defect on rim at 4:00 obverse. $440.00.
1799 [BB-163] B-10b. VF-EF. $425.00.
1799 [BB-165] B-8. Unc. $4,200.00.
1799 [BB-166] B-9a. VF, some pin scratches and field marks. $325.00.
1799 [BB-167] B-14. Rarity-4. VF. $420.00.
1800 [BB-190] B-10. AU. $1,450.00.
1800 [BB-193] B-18a. Gem Unc. $10,000.00.
1802 [BB-241] B-6. Choice Unc. $5,750.00.
1803 [BB-252] B-5. Small 3. EF. $775.00.
1803 [BB-254] B-4. Small 3 in date. EF-AU, weakness in clouds on reverse as struck. $525.00.
The Bowers and Ruddy Galleries sale of the Garrett Collection (The Johns Hopkins University), March 26-27,1980, included a set of early dollars beginning with
1794 and ending with the rare
1804.
1794 [BB-1] B-1. VF-30 with some burnishing in the fields. Normal planchet adjustment marks. A light golden tone evident on the reverse. Traces of parallel striae, or adjustment marks are visible on and near the eagle on the reverse. $40,000.00.
1795 [BB-14] B-4. Flowing Hair. AU-50. Full borders. The usual adjustment marks are hardly noticeable and the details are outstanding. Most of the original mint frost is evident. In certain areas of the field and the highest parts of the design the frost has disappeared. Two very small edge marks on the obverse rim between the 6th and 7nth stars. The coin is so lightly toned as to be almost subliminal. A light gray pervades with nuances of golden hues particularly around the stars and the letters of LIBERTY. $15,000.00.
1795 [BB-27] B-5. Flowing Hair. Choice AU-55. The obverse displays nearly full mint lustre and may have been cleaned in the previous century. Just the barest whisper of friction appears. The reverse is nearly fully frosty, except for the highest central portion of the eagle. Well centered and well struck. $27,500.00.
1795 [BB-51] B-14. Draped Bust. Choice Brilliant Proof. The obverse and reverse have a full Proof surface. $170,000.00.
1795 [BB-51] B-14. Draped Bust. Choice AU-55. Sharply struck and well centered. The piece has the majority of its original mint frost, especially on the reverse. Adjustment marks are missing and the overall strike is extraordinary, with sharpness of detail. $19,000.00.
1796 [BB-61] B-4. Draped Bust. Choice EF-45. Well centered and well struck. $6,750.00.
1796 [BB-65] B-5. AU-50. Extremely sharply struck. Ample evidence of original lustre. $9,500.00.
1797 [BB-71] B-3. Stars 10 left; 6 to the right. VF-30. Well centered and well struck. Lightly toned to gray overall, with some iridescent areas in the protected parts of the coin's design. $3,500.00.
1797 [BB-73] B-1. Early die state. Stars 9 left, 7 right. Reverse with small letters. EF-40, with evidence oflight striking at the center, particularly on the reverse. The borders are quite sharp. Overall the piece is toned a light gray, with traces of brown and blue iridescence in protected areas of the coin's surface. $3,750.00.
1798 [BB-81] B-2. Small Eagle reverse. 15 obverse stars. AU-50. Sharply struck, well centered and with a generous quotient of original mint lustre. Friction appears on the higher areas. Numerous adjustment marks on Liberty's face. $9,000.00.
1798 [BB-82] B-1. Small eagle reverse. 13 obverse stars. EF-40, some tinges of mint lustre in protected areas, and light golden-gray toning. $6,500.00.
1798 [BB-113] B-27. Heraldic Eagle reverse. Choice Br. Unc., MS-65. Well centered, well struck, and nearly fully brilliant. $65,000.00.
1798 [BB-122] B-14. AU-50. Traces of original mint lustre remain in the protected areas of the surface. An exceptionally sharp strike. $4,000.00.
1799/8 [BB-142] B-1. Overdate. AU-50. Much original lustre remaining. Traces of prooflike surface. Toned an attractive light gray with brown iridescence in protected areas of the coin's surface. $5,250.00.
1799 [BB-159] B-23. Obverse stars 8 to the left and 5 to the right. VF-30, with attractive light gray toning. $1,400.00.
1799 [BB-161] B-11. Choice EF-45. Both the obverse and reverse, particularly the reverse, display much original mint lustre. The sharpness and strike are extremely good. $4,250.00.
1800 [BB-193] B-18. Choice AD-55. With many claims to full Unc, status. The strike is very nearly perfect. The obverse displays nearly complete mint frost. $34,000.00.
1801 [BB-213] B-3. AU-50. A very sharply struck specimen of extraordinary quality. The obverse has at least half of the original mint lustre, mostly in protected areas of the design, and the reverse is even more lustrous. The surfaces have light gray toning with suggestions of magenta mottling in some areas. $4,500.00.
1802/1 [BB-233] B-2. EF-40. Some suggestions remain of what may have been a prooflike surface at the time of issue. Light gray toning overall with some darker areas among the stars and letters. A few marks on the reverse are hidden among the clouds. $1,750.00.
1802 [BB-241] B-6. VF-30. Light gray toning with mottled iridescent areas. $2,700.00.
1803 [BB-252] B-5a. Small 3 in date. EF-40 with some suggestions of a prooflike surface which is especially visible in protected areas. Some light mint adjustment marks are visible at the lower part of the bust. Light gray toning overall, with some nuance of darker hues. $4,000:00.
1804 King of American Coins. [Lengthy description omitted here.] From T. Harrison Garrett, earlier from O.H. Berg, John Haseltine. EF-40. Class III style. $400,000.00.