Silver Dollars & Trade Dollars of the United States - A Complete Encyclopedia
Q. David Bowers
1802/1 Overdate. 88-234.
(B-3. H-3.)
• OBVERSE 4: Wide overdate, with most space between 8 and 0. Small die crack is usually seen in the field between stars 8 and 9 and Liberty's forehead. On the left, star pairs 1-2 and 6-7 are more widely spaced than any others. On the right, stars 8 and 9 are more widely spaced than are any others.
Obverse die used to strike 1802/1 BB-234 only.
• REVERSE B: See description under 1801 BB-214; repeated under 1802/1 BB-233.
Reverse die used to strike 1801 BB-214 (typically with crack from border toward cloud 6); 1802/1 BB-233 (perfect; first use of the die), BB-234 (die relapped, cloud 6 mostly missing, some arrowheads disconnected; some with clash mark from cloud 5 to border above 0), and BB-235; 1802 BB-242 (spur on D from now on); 1803 BB-251 (relapped, struck before BB-252) and BB-252 (relapped, struck after BB-251).
• DIE STATES:
Die State I: Perfect obverse and reverse dies. May not exist. Die State II: Obverse die with small raised crack in field opposite space between stars 8 and 9 about 40% of the distance to the forehead. Reverse die relapped. Most of cloud 6 is now missing. Some arrowheads disconnected. Scarcer than the following.
Die State III: Obverse with very light clash marks (from reverse clouds) visible above and slightly to the left of the date. Obverse crack opposite stars 8 and 9 now slightly enlarged and in the shape of an oblong pellet. Reverse die relapped. Most of cloud 6 is now missing. Some arrowheads disconnected. The usual die state seen.
• AUCTION POPULATION SURVEY: Good: 5, Very Good: 6, Fine: 12, Very Fine: 25, Extremely Fine: 14, About Uncirculated: 5, Mint State-50 or better: 4. Total: 71. Average grade: VF-25.
• COLLECTING NOTES: An estimated 400 to 750 specimens exist of the BB-234 overdate, about as many as survive of BB-232. Although several Mint State pieces are known, most are in significantly lower grades, with VF being average.
• NOTABLE SPECIMENS:
Freeman Specimen. MS-60 .• Harley L. Freeman Collection, C.S.N.S. Sale, 1977 .. Goshen Collection, Stack's, 1978: 310 .• Stack's, Ellis H. Robison Collection, 1982: 1881. "Bril-liant Unc, Full mint bloom, traces of prooflike surface. Attractively toned about but periphery, somewhat deeper in color on left side. Sharply struck, with stars on left showing full radial lines. The reverse is unusually bold."
Ebsen Specimen, MS-60. • Superior Galleries, Buddy Ebsen Collection, 1987: 1922. "MS-60+. Full blazing prooflike surfaces on the obverse, subdued frosty mint lustre on reverse. Quite bold with all engraved features of Liberty's hair clearly defined. Well centered, with full denticle detail and struck on a perfect problem-free planchet. A minute rim bruise next to last star. Toned with superb array of antique hues that include shades of blue, russet gray and green."
Gross Specimen. AU-55 •• Steve Ivy, November 1982. Coin has die lump in field at 2 o'clock .• Yolanda Gross.Collection.
Davis Specimen. AU-50. • Stack's, Davis-Graves Games Davis) Collection, 1954: 1325. "Die lump below eighth star; 8 and 0 in date widely spaced. Sharp, lustrous strike, well centered, cabinet friction on high spots. A shade from Unc." • Ambassador and Mrs. R. Henry Norweb. Norweb Sale, Bowers and Merena, 1988. A 1992 note from Douglas Winter stated this: "Some specialists consider the Norweb Collection coin, earlier from the Davis-Graves Collection sale, to be the finest known, and row higher than :MS-65 in grade." (Aren't some grading interpretations at once wondrous and perplexing?) .
NASC Convention Sale Specimen. AU-55. • Kagin's, 1979: 540. "Bifurcated letters (particularly obverse), die break from cloud below last S in STATES to top of 0 in OF, borderline Unc.-55. Slight friction on hair. Needle-sharp stars at left, lovely prooflike blue-golden gray-pink lustre, deep sharp edge dentilations."
Long Beach Specimen. AU-50. • Heritage, Long Beach Exposition Sale, 1989: 805, almost Unc, (53/53). "Lustrous, sharply struck, pale steel gray in color with delicate golden and "lilac overtones."
• POPULATION DISTRIBUTION:
Approximate population MS-65 or better: 0 (URS-0)
Approximate population MS-64: 0 (URS-0)
Approximate population MS-63: 1 or 2 (URS-1)
Approximate population MS-60 to 62: 2 to 4 (URS-2)
Approximate population AU-50 to 58: 5 to 10 (URS-4)
Approximate population VF-20 to EF-45: 250 to 475 (URS-10)
Approximate population G-4 to F-15: 150 to 275 (URS-9)
Approximate population for all grades combined: 400 to 750 (URS-10)
• CONDITION CENSUS: 63·60-60-58-55 (multiples)