Silver Dollars & Trade Dollars of the United States - A Complete Encyclopedia

1801: Summary of Characteristics

Business Strikes:
Enabling legislation: Act of April 2, 1792
Designer of obverse: Robert Scot (after Stuart), model by John Eckstein
Designer of reverse: Robert Scot (from the Great Seal),
Weight and composition: 416 grains; .8924 silver, balance copper
Melting value (silver bullion value) in year minted:
Traditionally considered by Mint officials to he on a par with the Spanish dollar, and worth about $1.00 intrinsically, but by 1801 the value had risen to about $1.03.
Dies prepared: unknown
Business strike mintage, calendar year: 54,454 (may include some struck from dies dated earlier; figures do not include pieces reserved for the Assay Commission; these are. given in parentheses); Delivery figures by day: January 10: 6,850 (+3); February 4: 8,483 (+3); February 16: 9,800 (+3); February 28: 3,500 (+3); March 16: 5,773 (+3); April 15: 7,350 (+3); May .15: 1,150 (+2); .August 19: 7,040 (+3); September 30: 3,746(0);,December 26: 762 (+1).
Estimated business strike mintage of 1801-dated dollars (author's estimate): 35,000 (rounded):
Estimated quantity melted: Unknown

Approximate population MS-65 or better: 0 (URS- 0)
Approximate population MS-64: 0 (URS-0)
Approximate population MS-63: 1 to 2 (URS-1)

Approximate population MS-60 to 62: 2 to 4 (URS-2)
Approximate population AU-50 to 58: 65 to 125 (URS-8)
Approximate population VF-20 to EF-45: 1,200 to 2,100 (URS-12)
Approximate population G-4 to F-15: 625 to 1,100 (URS-11)
Approximate population for all grades combined: 1,800 to 3,300 (URS-12) .

CONDITION CENSUS: 63-60-60-58 (multiples)
AVERAGE AUCTION APPEARANCE (for all varieties combined: VF-24

Characteristics of striking: Depends upon the variety. If weakly struck, this is often observed at the center of the obverse and among the stars above the eagle on the reverse.

Known hoards of Mint State coins: None

Proofs:

Proof novodels were made decades later (see chapters 5 and 6)
Commentary

Coinage of dollars dated 1801 was small, and specimens are scarce today. Apparently, only one variety of 1801-dated dollar, BB-211, has the possibility of being actually coined in calendar year 1801.

Additional Information

Dickeson on 1801 Dollars

The following appeared in Dr. Montroville W. Dickeson's 1859 book, An American Numismatical Manual and told of an apparently short-lived influx of silver dollars dated 1801 appearing for sale:

"The high premiums paid for specimens of this emission, lately brought to light, and into the market, a very considerable number, and also of the emissions from 1795 to 1803, which furnished a temporary supply to collectors. Apart from this, they are getting to be scarce, and Soon must again be so, as a small number coined, with the inducement to bring them out, has had the effect, we think, to develop the full supply."

The Year 1801 in History
In 1801 the United States entered a state of war-in this case undeclared-when Yusuf Karamanli, pasha of Tripoli, ordered his soldiers to cut down the American flag after the United States refused to pay tribute to Barbary Coast pirates. Several years later, on February 16, 1804, U.S. troops led by Lt. Stephen Decatur sneaked aboard the captured American ship Philadelphiain Tripoli harbor, attacked the guards, and set the ship afire, before rowing away to safety. In 1805, the U.S. consul in Tunis assembled a rag-tag army in Egypt, which crossed 600 miles of desert to attack Tripoli from the rear. The phrase in the Marine Hymn, "to the shores of Tripoli," refers to this conflict.

Thomas Jefferson was inaugurated on March 4, 1801, following his controversial election finalized on the 36th ballot by the House of Representatives on February 17. He abolished lavish social events at the White House and dressed casually to receive visitors. To American citizens, he promised "peace, commerce and honest friendship with all nations and tangling alliances with none." John Marshall, then secretary of state, was named chief justice of the Supreme Court. During the next 34 years his court would make several landmark decisions affecting interpretation of the Constitution.

The New York Evening Post was founded by Alexander Hamilton; in later decades it would become one of America's most influential newspapers. In New York City, the American Company of Booksellers was formed, and went on to sponsor five book fairs from 1802 to 1806. Congregationalist and Presbyterian religious denominations adopted the Plan of Union, which permitted them to combine their resources in frontier areas, and allow ministers from each denomination to use the same church at different times. On January 1, Parliament created the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. French inventor Joseph Marie Jacquard invented an automatic loom which used punched cards to control movements and reproduce designs; the device would continue in wide use for more than a century afterward.

At the Mint, half dollars, which had not been coined since 1797, were first produced utilizing the Draped Bust obverse design with the Heraldic Eagle reverse. The famous "Three Errors" large cent was produced, with the reverse having these blunders: UNITED appeared as IINITED, the fraction was a mathematically meaningless 1/000, and there was just one (instead of two) stem to the wreath.