Q. David Bowers
1802 B-8. "Restrike." Br. Proof. A gem with superb russet-golden and iridescent toning. Obverse: Same as adopted design but the 2 differs from the other 1802 dies because the tip of the upper end of the 2 ends in a vertical position rather than in a horizontal position. Reverse: Same as used with the Class I 1804 Dollar. Ex Neil Collection, Lot 29. $60,500.00.
1803 [BB-252] B-5. Small 3. AU, sharply struck about its periphery. Nearly as nice as the central portion (as is always seen with this variety). Full frosty mint lustre with golden and iridescent toning. Rarity-5. The finest known of this variety and undoubtedly one of the best Small 3's in existence. $9,350.00.
1803 [BB-254] B-4. Small 3. Strictly VF and, as a type, the scarcest. $935.00.
1803 [BB-255] B-6. Large 3. Only one die variety. AU and a lovely coin with nearly full prooflike surfaces. An exceptionally attractive coin with delicate iridescent toning. $5,500.00.
1803 Bolender-7. "Restrike." Br. Proof. A gem with exquisite cobalt blue and golden iridescent toning. Obverse: Same as the adopted design with the large 3. Some rust spots on and around the 4th star. Reverse: Same as used with the Class I 1804 Dollar. Ex Neil Collection, Lot 30. $68,750.00.
1804 Class III. Obverse: Draped bust of Liberty, with flowing hair, facing to right. There are 13 stars, six stars to right and seven to left of bust. The word LIBERTY above, and the date, 1804, below. The upper right-hand star almost touches the Y in LIBERTY. Reverse: An heraldic eagle with broad shield on breast carries a scroll inscribed E PLURIBUS UNUM in the beak, and holds 12 arrows in right talon and an olive branch in left talon. An arc of clouds extends from wing to wing of eagle with 13 stars in field beneath the clouds, and the legend, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA around. The edge is lettered, HUNDRED CENTS ONE DOLLAR OR UNIT. Extremely Fine.
Six of the Class III 1804 dollars are now known. When they began to appear on the market in the years immediately following the Civil War, John W. Haseltine of Philadelphia, one of the pioneer dealers in U.S. coins, was associated with many of them. The "ubiquitous ].W. Haseltine," as Walter Breen was moved to call him, seemed to have a magic touch. If there was an 1804 to be had, somehow Haseltine had it.
Haseltine turned up at the sale of the Jewett Collection in New York on January 24 and 25, 1876, with this particular Class III 1804 in his pocket. At suitable moments he allowed his treasure to be examined. He was a bit vague about the origins of the coin, only mentioning an unnamed collection in England. There was nothing vague about his price. He wanted $600.00 for the piece. There were no buyers.
The next move remained hidden in the archives until a recent bit of research brought it to light. In March 1876, Haseltine scheduled his" 1776 Centennial Coin and Curiosity Sale, Part I" (there were many other parts to follow). Under the general heading of "United States Silver Dollars," Lot 194 read, "1804; a fine impression of this extremely rare dollar, about as fine as the one sold in the Sanford Sale and a great deal finer than the one in the Cohen sale; guaranteed genuine and original." From this it would appear that when he showed what was presumably the same dollar in New York in January it probably did not belong to him. The reference to the Cohen coin also shows that in the early collecting days the 1804s had not yet been overtaken by the class system.
On the afternoon of March 3, 1876, the dollar sold for $395.00 and Haseltine himself was the buyer. Later in the year he parted with the piece to Phineas Adams of New Hampshire for the consideration of $550.00, thus allowing himself a profit of $155.00, less expenses. This was about the price pattern for the coin in those years. The less satisfactory Cohen specimen itself, had sold for $325.00 in 1875 and the next year was acquired at auction by L.G. Parmelee of Boston for $500.00.
The New Hampshire Adams coin was destined to have 11 owners, if the count starts with the "ubiquitous" Haseltine who owned the coin for only a few months in 1876. The others were Phineas Adams 1876-1880; Henry Ahlborn c. 1880; John P. Lyman 1880,1913; Waldo Newcomer 1913·1932; Col. E.H.R. Green 1932-1940; AJ. Allen 1940-1946; F.C.C. Boyd 1946; Percy A. Smith 1946-1950; Amon Carter and Amon Carter, Jr. 1950-1983. All these men were important collectors although Waldo Newcomer, Colonel Green, and F.C.C. Boyd are among the best known names. The piece finally came under the hammer again in B. Max Mehl's "GoldenJubilee Sale" held in Fort Worth in May 1950. It was. bought by Amon Carter, Sr. for $3,250.00. In the course of natural events it passed to his son, Amon Jr.
In the succession of owners the name of Carter is among the most distinguished. Amon Carter, Jr. was a highly respected and much loved figure in the numismatic world. We trust that the charisma of this particular 1804 dollar may also be transferred to the next fortunate possessor. $198,000.00.
Superior Galleries' sale of the Hoagy Carmichael and Wayne Miller Collections, January 27-28, 1986. Included were several outstanding early dollars, most notably the Neil-Carter 1794 in Mint State.
1794 [BB-1] MS-63. Prooflike surfaces. Adjustment marks (file strokes are noted on the obverse rims). There is some weakness of strike around the periphery and the corresponding part of the reverse. This magnificent coin exhibits a blending of multicolored toning; a mixture of steel blue, violet and naturally grayish-golden tone. This is the Amon G. Carter coin, January 1984, Lot 207; previously from B. Max Mehl's Will W. Neil Collection, 1947. $209,000.00.
1795 [BB-27] B-5. R-1. MS-63. $8,800.00.
1795 [BB-51] B-14, Draped Bust. AU-55. Well struck with Liberty's hair and other details extremely well defined. Just a touch of friction is evident on the high points and a small scuff extends from Liberty's neck into the adjacent right field. The reverse exhibits some characteristic adjustment marks running diagonally across the eagle's chest. Lustrous surfaces throughout with an attractive golden glow; maintains outstanding visual appeal. $4,840.00.
The balance of early dollars from this sale were not attributed, thus they are not included here.
The Bowers and Merena sale of the Norweb Collection, November 14-15, 1988. Offered were many important early dollars. The 1794 is one of the two Unc, pieces from the Lord St. Oswald Collection.
1794 [BB-1] B-1. Flowing Hair. MS-60/63. Believed to be second or third finest known. The obverse and reverse are of nearly full brilliance, modified by just a whisper of light gray toning. Stars on the left side of obverse are lightly struck, and at that point some mint-caused adjustment marks can be seen. The portrait of Miss Liberty is needle-sharp. The reverse is well struck, save for the tops of the letters in the area of TED STA. $242,000.00.
1795 [BB-20] B-2. Flowing Hair. Two leaves beneath each wing. AU-58 to MS-60, prooflike. Light.golden toning blends to gunmetal blue at the borders, with areas of silver and gold in between. $7,700.00.
1795 [BB-27] B-5. Three leaves beneath each wing. AU-50. Silver and iridescent toning. A lustrous, sharply struck example. $9,900.00.
1795 [BB-27] B-5. VF-30. Glossy surfaces, with magenta, lilac, and blue toning. $2,640.00.